Golden Roads: Paradise
by LilMissFerret
Summary: A story of a young couple who must face the trials of life. Roger Darling Jr., a charming teen and heir to billions, and Anita Greene, a lovely, but poor, girl from the city. It was love at first sight, but that doesn't mean its easy. AU, rating may increase. No Dalmatians yet. Features animal characters from other movies/books/tv shows. Sequel is up!
1. A Chance Encounter

**A.N. So this will be incredibly AU. Don't expect any different. I've been unconsciously working on this for along time, nearly twelve years in fact. Most of it started with a young girl's imagination while playing with her dolls. Any question and comments are appreciated, and I hope this make some sense. My deviantart account may be of some use as well, so I'll be posting a link in my profile.**

**_Disclaimer:__ All characters belong to their respective owners. I claim only the characters, places, and plot of my own creation. I am not receiving any kind of payment for this work._  
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_**Chapter I**_

_**A Chance Encounter**_

On a sprawling hillside, just north of Los Angeles, California sat a gigantic white house. The mansion, with its eight towering pillars and twelve bedrooms took up the entire summit. Its six gardens were splayed all around, each one more beautiful than the last.

In the very back was a maze of roses wrapped around the edge of the pool. The gardener, an older gentleman form just down the road, was busy hauling mulch to the bushes. Up above him, at the tiny tool shed was a teenage boy. His ragged blue jeans didn't have any knees and his faded shirt lay, discarded, on the ground. He stretched up suddenly, running one long hand through his brown tresses. As he moved, the sun caught in the honey-colored highlights.

"Roger!" a woman called from the pool side. "Roger, dear, won't you please come have some lemonade?"

"I'm fine Mother!" he yelled back, waving her off. Gerald was on his back from the run, ready for another load.

* * *

You see, Roger lived here at Darling Manor with his rich parents and younger brother. Roger was named for his father, an ex-general in the United States Army, and current owner of the largest toy factory in America. Darling Inc. was responsible for their beautiful home, and all the human comforts in the world.

At seventeen, Roger was due to inherit the company in just under a year, when his father retired. However, he didn't want to take possession of the multi-billion dollar business, because he would rather go off to college. Roger's life-long dream was to become an engineer or an inventor. He had excellent design skills, and could create the toys, but that wasn't enough. His brother, Joseph, was better with money, and thus could keep the company profitable as well as functional.

All in all, Roger Sr. liked his younger son better, but Joseph had his flaws too. So he was faced with an awful dilemma. Bella, the boys' mother, had long decided not to take sides.

All of this was running through Roger's head one afternoon while he was taking a stroll through the back alleys in LA. To make some money, because he refused to be handed anything, Roger worked summers at the factory. Today he was headed in for an afternoon shift, which started after lunch break. He passed a few people, some worn out from work, others heading in as well, and one lone girl that stood out.

As he watched, the girl stumbled and dropped her basket. Being a gentleman, he quickly helped her pick up the oranges that were rolling away. Her big blue eyes locked with his chocolate ones as she choked on her words, "Thank you- Er… Are you Mr. Darling's son?"

He laughed then, a short chuckle, "Do I look that much like him?" She stared up at him, freeing a hand to flatten her hair. "I'm so sorry, that was quite rude."

"That's quite alright, Miss. I'm Roger Darling Jr., and you?" he asked with a charming crooked smile.

"Um… I'm Anita Greene, my father works here, at the factory," she said quietly, turning her eyes to the ground.

"Ah! James? I know him, you see, we work together in the afternoons!" He glanced around quickly, before turning back to Anita. "Are you off to see him?"

Anita looked up, and smiled, "Yes, he has to work all day, so I'm bringing him lunch." She glanced away again, brushing her blond hair away from her face. "Why do you work here? Your father owns this, and, I hear, he's very rich."

"Well, I like to make my own money. Now, would you like an escort, my lady?" Roger swept into a graceful bow, and held out his hand. She giggled lightly, a very feminine sound, and reached out to him. "Let's go then."

They walked the short distance to the building, and slipped through the metal doors. It was hot inside, and full of over-worked and under-paid people. The equipment lined the space, making loud noises as they churned out pieces and parts for different toys. Roger picked his way among the people and objects, careful to keep his hold on Anita's hand.

In the farthest corner sat a giant of a man, with thick brown curls loose around his ears. Even sitting he gave the appearance of being tall, and powerful. "Good afternoon James, how are you?"

"Good, good," he muttered back. "Gettin' hungry."

Anita opened her mouth to say something, but Roger shushed her and went to his seat. "Well, lunch is almost over. Did you forget yours?"

"No, my oldest girl is supposed to be bringin' it. Don't know what she's doin' though." He seemed thoughtful for a moment then turned slightly to the younger man. "You'll like my Nita, Roger, she's a pretty girl."

"You don't say? Well I found a real pretty one on my way here, a blond. She dropped a basket of oranges."

James blinked for a moment, staring blankly at his hands, "You don't think that was-? Nah, couldn't a-been, could it?"

"Hi Daddy! Were you getting worried?" she laughed, setting the basket on the table. "I brought your food, but you better hurry."

She kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him. "I have to get back to help Mama, Daddy; can you bring the basket back after work?" James nodded mouth too full to speak. "And you share, too, there is too much there for just you. I'll see you at home," she finished, "and thank you, Roger."

James finished his sandwiches and fruit before turning on him. "Lovely ain't she? Real smart, too. Nita's gonna change the world someday." Roger smiled and nodded, trying hard not to think about the beauty, slowly skipping her way home.

* * *

Anita pushed open the kitchen door. Humming sweetly to herself. "Mama? Stephanie?" she called, scanning the house. "Jimmy?"

She found her family clustered in the living room, her mother in her rocking chair with Jimmy in her lap. Steph was busy knitting something, a sweater perhaps, but she was listening as May read her story. "… and the little spotted dog lived happily with her new family. The end."

Jimmy yawned as he slid off her lap, running at his sister. "Nita!" he cried.

"What on Earth are you all doing?" she asked kneeling down to his height.

"Mama was reading us a story, Nita. It was your favorite one!" he told her quickly, eying her strangely. "Why are you smiling?"

"I can't smile at my favorite little brother?" she asked blushing slightly. Jimmy let that go, but now both her mother and sister were watching her now. "I want to play with Bandit now."

"Okay, Jim-Jim, just keep him in the backyard," Mama said, picking herself out of the chair. "Stephie, you'll watch him?" Stephanie nodded and followed the boy outside. "Anita, come help with the dishes."

They followed the others, stopping at the sink piled with dishes. "I haven't seen you so happy since Tommy was coming around for dinner," she said washing one of their chipped plates. "Did you meet someone at the factory?"

"Sort of, I guess. I dropped the basket and he helped me pick up the stuff, that's all," Anita mumbled, reaching for the towel.

"Really? What's his name?" she asked, an innocent enough question. "It's the boy that works with Dad, Roger," she answered softly.

"Not the rich one? The _heir_ of the factory? Oh, my." May went quiet, staring at the bubbles. They stood like that for several minutes, saying nothing. Then, May turned to her daughter, "Anita-" she stopped. "Anita you can't. It won't work."

A flood of tears gathered in her brilliant eyes, "I know that Mama. I know."

* * *

"Father?" Roger asked at the dinner table. At the head of the table, his father looked up, "Yes, Roger?"

"Do you know the Greenes?" Everyone looked up, then, and looked to Roger Sr.

"Well, don't you work with that oaf James? He's a Greene," he answered stiffly. "Why do ask?"

Roger mulled the question over in his mind before saying anything, "I met his daughter today. It just sparked my interest, Father."

"Nasty filth, those people. James, he's a good worker, but he couldn't read to save a life. I believe they live on the outskirts of town. Pitiful place."

Roger managed a clipped "ah" before, returning to his dinner. Bella was watching her husband, contemplating what to do. "Dear, how can you say such awful things? You used to be a farmer."

The man stared at his wife, a mean look in his dark eyes. "Don't talk about things you know nothing about, Isabella. My life was very different before I met you."

"If you say so, dear. Roger, won't you pass me the butter? My roll is very dry."

Dinner continued on for a while, though no one else managed a conversation. Afterward, they headed their separate directions. Roger Sr. went into his study shortly after leaving the table, shutting the door a little to loudly, but Bella followed her boys into the hall and slipped into the living room.

"Are you going to the ball this weekend, Roger?" Joseph asked once their mother was gone. "I'm taking Penny Hope, the mayor's daughter."

Roger sighed heavily, "Father will like that. He's always looking for political points." He shook his head and laughed, "But I'm not going. I would rather stay here."

"Suit yourself. I'm going to bed. 'Night."

"See you tomorrow, Joe." With that Roger slipped into the living room as well.

Bella was laid out on her chaise, reading another one of her famous romance novels. She glanced at Roger as he entered the room, before returning to the book. He raced a hand over the small collection of books on the shelf. He picked one, and sprawled out on the floor near the fire. This book was a mesh of many short stories written for children, complete with cute illustrations.

He thumbed through and read a few of the classic pieces, but Roger soon grew bored. "Mom? Are you going to the ball this weekend?"

"Oh, the one at City Hall? Of course, it's mandatory for the city biggest people," she said, smiling. "You don't want to go, do you honey?"

Roger caught her eyes, and shook his head, "You know me too well Mother." He went silent for a minute, pondering his phrasing. "Mom, why did you tell off Father today?"

"Because, dear, your father doesn't have any room to judge those people. I'm sure they are perfectly normal, and intelligent. They just aren't as well off as we are," she said. Then, with a wicked little smile, she added, "Why don't you invite the girl to the ball? Dress her up and flaunt her around, no one will know the difference."

"I- I don't know. Maybe."

"Oh, please. Don't turn into your father, Roger. You like her, correct?" Roger nodded. "Then ask her."

"What happens if she can't get a dress? I can't bring anyone without a dress." He closed the book and sat up. "Well?"

"I'll buy a dress. Perhaps I'll take her to my salon, we can redo everything about her." Bella seemed excited now, ready for a challenge. "What's her name?"

"Anita Greene."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, "Get up bright and early, darling. I'll take you in the morning." She glanced back at the book in her lap, finished her page and turned to her son. "Don't you just love the name Rachel? Charming." She, too, closed her book, and headed to the door, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	2. Invitations

**A.N. Ah, another chapter. This gives you a bit more insight into the characters, and their families. Again, questions and comments are wanted!

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_**Chapter II**_

_**Invitations**_

The sharp buzz of the alarm clock cut through the early morning silence. Roger jumped at the noise, and groaned. "No," he moaned, smacking at the clock.

"Roger!" called Bella from the other side of the door. "Wake up!" He glared at the door and grabbed one of his pillows. "Roger, now!"

Another rapping of knuckles forced him up, "I'm coming!" Standing up, he stretched, and went to unlock his bedroom door. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you dressed?" she asked looking at his old sweats. "Put on something nice, dear. You've got to make a good impression with her mother!" She pushed past him and opened the closet. "You don't have enough things in here. Where are all your clothes?"

Roger drug himself over to his dresser, on the other side of the room, and pulled open a drawer. "Will this work?" He held up a light pair of jeans, and a yellow polo.

"Oh, perfect!" she exclaimed, reaching for the shirt. "I'll have this ironed while your showering, yes?" He watched her for a minute, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Well, go!"

He slipped into his personal bathroom and shut the door. In the mirror he scanned his reflection. Shaking his head, Roger grabbed a towel and switched on the hot water.

* * *

At the Greene's tiny house daily live was busy. Even without school Anita was up at the crack of dawn. This morning she was mixing the batter for blueberry muffins. The sausages, eggs, and potatoes were piled on the kitchen table, as the counter wasn't big enough to hold it all. She moved fluidly through the small space.

With the task at hand keeping her mind busy, Anita was able to eliminate all thoughts of the day before, if only for a moment. It was nearly eight now, and the rest of the household was just stirring. Jimmy was the first one up, and he came with hair all a mess. He slumped into a chair and scrubbed the sleep from his eyes with balled fists.

"Good morning, Jimmy. Did you sleep good?" she asked, running a hand through his light curls. He blinked at her with eyes the same shade as hers before answering.

"Uh-huh," he slurred. "I'm hungry."

Smiling at his, Anita went back to work and loaded a plate with food. "Do you want milk or juice?"

"Milk."

In nearly the same breath Stephanie came bouncing into the room. She wasn't normally a morning person, so her sister took interest in the sudden change. "What are you up to?"

The younger girl looked confused, "Did you not hear it?" she asked impatiently. "Or see it?"

"What is it Stephanie? I don't have time for your games!" Anita huffed turning over the eggs.

"The limo! It's parked right outside!" she exclaimed, throwing herself into another chair. "Mama's talking to them right now, in the living room."

Immediately her heart started racing, and she glanced towards the door. When the last of the food was cooked, and Stephanie fed, Anita slipped into the tiny hall. She was just able to peek into the next room without being seen.

Sitting on their threadbare sofa was a delightful looking woman. Her hair was flaxen colored and styled perfectly; not a strand was out of place. Beside her was the charming boy she had met the day before. For a moment it seemed like the world had stopped spinning, then she let out the breath she had been holding and slid into the living room.

"Mama?" she called, pretending she had not seen the company. "Are you-- Oh, hello Roger," she said quietly. "Is this your mother?"

He stood up quickly and smiled at her. "Yes, it is. Anita meet Mrs. Isabella Darling, and Mom, meet Miss Anita Greene." The entire time he spoke he never once shifted his eyes from her face. Not knowing what else to do, Anita held out her hand. The woman jumped from her seat and approached her.

"Hello, Anita. I've just been dieing to meet you!" With that Isabella grabbed her hand with both of hers, although those were highly polished.

"Why, thank you, Mrs. Darling. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

The beautiful woman laughed softly, "Please, dear, call me Bella!"

Though flustered by being addressed in such a care free, yet proper manner, Anita quite enjoyed the compliments. It took more effort than she could muster to be humble. After a moment of chit-chat she cleared her throat and asked, "Would either of you like some refreshments? We have sweet tea and cookies."

"That would be lovely. Did you make them dear?" Bella questioned, glancing at the artful pile. She nodded and brought the platter to the coffee table., before slipping into the kitchen. Upon entering the room, Stephanie grabbed her arm. "That's them isn't it? The Darlings?"

"Hush Stephanie! You were taught better than that!" she scolded, shaking off the younger girl. "Get some of Mama's fine china won't you? The glasses with the flowers should do."

Although she did as she was told, slipping into the pantry and pulling out four and setting them carefully on the counter, Stephanie continued to ask questions. "Why are they here?"

When Anita did not answer she would ask something else, "Is it about Daddy?"

"I honestly don't know, alright? If I knew I would tell you!" she finally huffed, carefully balancing everything on a tray.

Back in the living room tension was very high. A dark look seemed to cloud the eyes of both Roger and her mother. Mrs. Darling looked flustered, and their was a slight tint of red in her cheeks that had not been there before.

Tea was a forced arrangement, and nobody seemed capable of making conversation. Suddenly, May said, "Perhaps it's time for your leave, Mrs. Darling. You've been here quite a while, don't you think?."

Appalled, Anita looked at her mother; her wide eyes and open mouth seemed to further irritate her only farther. "Anita, did you finish the breakfast dishes? They should be done before lunch."

"They're done already," she retorted quickly before turning to Roger. "Roger, perhaps you and your mother would like to step outside for some fresh air? It's getting a little stale in here."

Both stood quickly and followed Anita's lead. "It was nice meeting you Mrs. Greene," Roger said politely. His mother, on the other hand, looked positively murderous. "Come, Roger, we have better things to do."

Outside on the porch, Bella reassured Anita, "You've been absolutely wonderful, darling. You are a very sweet girl, Anita." Then the lady excused herself, and slipped back into their shiny black limousine.

The silence was a painful in the still air, as the two starred out into the yard. "Is your mother always like that?" Roger asked nervously.

"Yes, she's always been like that," she whispered back. "What brought you here?"

"My mother wants me to take you to the ball at City Hall this weekend."

"_She _wants you to take _me_? But that's -- that doesn't make any sense at all!" Anita stammered slightly. "Don't you?"

"Oh course! I -- I just figured you wouldn't want to go to some stuffy ball. The ladies just get starred at and flaunted." He stopped, thinking of what to say next. "Would you like to go? Or perhaps we could go somewhere else?"

Anita closed her eyes and turned away from him. "I don't have anything to wear to a ball."

"I have the money to buy a dress. You could get your hair and nails done as well, if you want."

She simply shook her head. Tears started to form in her eyes, and she tried to keep them at bay. She liked Roger, she did, but her pride would not let her take that money. "Can we go somewhere else? Somewhere inexpensive?"

"What? Why, yes! Yes, of course!"

Anita smiled slightly, artfully wiping the tears from her eyes without causing a scene. Where would they go? What would they do? She pondered the possibilities in the silence, watching the grass move in the wind.

"Would you like to go out on Saturday? I could slip out in the morning, and we could spend the day doing something fun," he told her with an expression of delight. "You like animals don't you?"

She brightened once more. "Oh yes, I want to go to college and study animals."

"Alright then. I'll be here at ten." He paused again, and started humming a small tune.

Roger said his goodbyes and walked to the car. There was a definite spring in his step as he made his way and slid into the back. He waved happily at her, just as the limousine started down the road.

Anita slumped against the wall of the house. She closed her eyes and forced her breathing to remain normal. She, a poor little girl from the back streets of LA, was going on a date with one of the richest boys in the world. Suppressing the strong urge to squeal, Anita opened the peeling door and stepped back into real life.

"Anita! Get that look off your face! I don't like these people, I really don't. Go find some factory worker, not a billionaire in training," her mother said, angrily tidying the living room.

"Don't you think your being mean? They are very nice, Mama, and I don't see any thing wrong with them." With that, Anita stormed up the narrow staircase and into her room. The door slammed, shaking the walls.


	3. A Long Road Home

**A.N. Sorry it took so long to upload this one. Things got away from me! Hope this one is okay... **

**_Disclaimer:__ All characters belong to their respective owners. I claim only the characters, places, and plot of my own creation. I am not receiving any kind of payment for this work._**

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_**Chapter 3**_

_**A Long Road Home**_

For the last few days Darling Manor had an air of lifelessness. Roger Sr. was spending all his time at the office. On those rare occasions when he could be caught at home, he promptly locked himself away in the study.

Bella was also very busy planning for the coming weekend. She had went shopping for her dress, got her nails and hair redone, and now she was out searching for jewelry. She paid little attention to the house, after all the maids were more than capable, and she rarely made time for family matters either.

The boys were the only ones at home, though they were very quiet and did little. Joseph was often spotted roaming the large house and grounds, as he was unable to leave. He spent time playing games and watching television, and tried to bother Roger.

With the house intact, the family mostly gone, and few other problems, Roger found time to plot the upcoming date. He paced his bedroom tirelessly and spent hours staring at the ceiling, thinking hard about the issues at hand.

His escape, he knew, would be the hardest part to pull off. Well, that and sneaking back in without attracting his father's attention. Under normal circumstances, Roger Sr. could not be bother with his sons' personal lives, but this ball was very important. The company was hoping to get permission to make "Halie Dolls", baby dolls based off of the governor's young granddaughter.

With a angry sigh, Roger threw himself out of bed and resuming the endless race around his bedroom.

* * *

Saturday morning finally came. Anita clicked off the alarm at six o'clock, and jumped out of bed. Across the room, Stephanie rolled over in her sleep, breathing softly. In the hall, as Anita made her way to the bathroom, she heard her father's tremendous snores echoing off the walls.

Anita passed the sole window, searching the darkness for any kind of life, before slipping into the cramped room. This more she took extra time to wash, as she couldn't go out smelling badly. When she finally stepped out of the steamy bathroom, she scurried down the chilly hallway in only a towel. As she passed the window once more, Anita noticed the first rays of sunshine pouring over the houses.

Stephanie was still deeply asleep, curled tightly around her pillow. Anita sighed and smiled, if only it would last. She pulled on her tattered blue robe and wrapped her hair up. Then, she turned to the mess that was her closet.

Like everything else, she shared the cramped space with her sister. Anita's clothes were nice and neat, either hung and organized, or folded on the shelf above. On the other side, Stephanie's belongings dangled off the shelves, threatening to fall to the carpet below. Many pieces already lay there in the ever growing pile.

Anita quickly shifted hers eyes form the mess, and began pondering her choices. How exactly was she supposed to dress? Fancy, casual, or comfy? Nothing seemed to work at all. She pulled out everything, spreading out the different combinations.

Finally, as she was pulling up her hair, the door bell rang. Downstairs, the floorboards squeaked with every footstep, preceded only by the sharp knocking of a heel. Anita rushed down the stairs, staring at the odd sight before her. Roger stood in leather cowboy boots, a large hat, flannel shirt, and worn blue jeans.

He whispered to her father, smiling with pearly white teeth. James glanced up at her and asked, "Aren't you pretty, Nita?"

Roger looked up too, but his smile quickly faded. "Beautiful as always, but a little over dressed."

Anita blushed scarlet. "Why, what are we doing, Roger?"

"It's a surprise, darling. You don't want me to spoil it do you?" He laughed at his own remark, and smiling, said, "Put on some jeans and boots, if you have them. That way you won't get hurt."

Suspicious, she strolled back up the last few steps and nearly ran into her bedroom. "Stephie? Are you still in here?"

Stephanie bounded out of the closet, the last few dresses clinging to her arms. "Yes!"

"Do you have any idea what just happened?" Anita asked excitedly. "Oh, Roger called me _darling_! Darling… Can you imagine?"

Stephanie shook her head, "Next you'll be engaged! Or having a baby, at this rate!" She laughed and threw herself down on her own bed. "Why are you back?"

"I… have… to…change," she huffed pulling off her clothes and tugging on new ones.

"Are you going on a hike? That won't be any fun at all!" she laughed. "I'd want to go shopping, if it was me."

Anita scowled at the girl, thinking her sister should have been the blonde one.

Being casually dressed certainly didn't harm Anita's looks what so ever, or so Roger believed. He watched the smooth way she walked, with that gentle sway of her hips, trying not to be noticeable.

She, too, had put on a pair of blue jeans. A white tank top could be scene under the plaid shirt that was tied at her waist. "Much better," he remarked, slowly moving his eyes upward past her delicious figure, flaming cheeks, and into those swirl lakes of her eyes.

"I don't think I could manage another round of changing," she muttered with a shy smile. "Are we leaving now?"

James stepped up, shaking his head slightly, "I don't think I can handle any more a this. Give me a hug Nita, and ya'll hit the road." Anita swiftly moved in, hugging him around the neck and kissing his cheek.

Then, looking back up to Roger, "You heard Daddy, it's time for us to go."

"Bye, honey. Take care of my little girl, Roger."

Roger looked the girl up and down again, "I certainly will, James, I certainly will."

* * *

Anita made it outside first, and stood, floored, beside his massive blue Chevy. "Do you like it? I got it for my sixteenth birthday."

She nodded and reached for the handle above her. The truck was lifted so high off the ground, that she could not climb up into it properly. Roger, laughing happily, showed her wear to grab to pull herself up, and climbed in on his own side.

At first she seemed reluctant to release the door and her seat belt. "Are you okay, Anita? I'm not scaring you, am I?" He asked occasionally, checking his speed every few minutes, as they drove down the highway. She would look away from the road, and nod slightly, but not once did she relax at all.

Just as he was starting to grow annoyed by her petrified behavior, he decided to pry her grip from the seatbelt. Her fingers almost immediately relaxed at his touch, and then wrapped themselves around his hand. It seemed that she was just overly nervous about the whole affair.

They drove for nearly two hours before Roger pulled the monstrous vehicle onto an exit ramp. Then another twenty minutes were spent driving down an empty, double lane road. Over all the plain route held little amazement. It was too plain, and much too flat.

Shortly, though, Anita spotted the change, as the endless wild terrain, shaped into neat little pastures. Here bushes and shrubs marked the edges of fences, breaking up the area. And not to far from this, a small dip in the road marked an old gravel driveway.

It was obvious that the little road, squeezed between two fields, had not been taken care of. Potholes and bare dirt dotted the drive. A few trees were scattered, blocking anything prominent from view.

Bouncing along, they moved down the ragged road. The truck stopped abruptly at the gate. The old white house sat surrounded by a jungle of plants, and weeds choked the empty flower beds. In the distance the screen door swayed slightly with the breeze.

"Where are we, Roger?" Anita asked cautiously.

"This is the Darling home place, Riverside Ranch. My aunt lives here."

"Oh my, I never thought your family would own something like this," she said in amazement.

"It's a fixer-upper, that's for sure, but it used to be grand," he sighed. "Let's go inside, okay?"

The locks clicked as they released, and Roger opened his door. On her side, Anita struggled to reach the ground. At last she jumped, landing lightly on her feet, and met Roger at the gate.

They quickly moved along the wild yard and onto the sagging porch. Roger opened the door and shouted, "Aunt Sarah? Hello?" A scrape of wood on wood could be heard somewhere deep inside the gloom. Suddenly, through the far doorway, a rather large old lady walked in. She was in her upper sixties, with steel colored hair and eyes.

At a glance, Aunt Sarah looked a bit mean, but her face easily broke into a soft smile. "Roger! I've been expecting you all day!" She hobbled her way over and hugged him with one are. "Who's this, boy?"

"Aunt Sarah, this is a friend of mine. Her name's Anita Greene."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Anita said, holding out her hand.

"Ma'am? Now, listen here girly, none of that in my house. You'll make me feel old. Call me Sarah." Then, quick as she came, Aunt Sarah disappeared again.

Roger stared after his great aunt for a moment, debating whether she'd come back. "She become a bit senile, I'm afraid," he whispered to Anita. "Aunt Sarah?" he called again.

"Come into the kitchen you two; I made lemonade this morning."

The kitchen, done in a deep red and white pattern, was much brighter than the gloomy entrance. "Where's Abigail, Aunt Sarah? Isn't she normally here during the day?"

"Oh, she's out with Tommy today. It's their anniversary, you know."

"They won't mind if we go riding will they?"

"Of course not. Go on then."

Roger stared anxiously at the old woman, and slowly turned to Anita, "Are you ready?" They walked across the room, hand in hand, and slipped out the back door. The pasture out back was much neater than the yard. "My cousin, Tommy, takes care of the farm. These are all his horses," he said, motioning out into the field.

Five horses, all in different colors and patterns, galloped up to the fence as they approached it. "Which one do you want?"

Anita stroked the horse closest to her. "This one's fine. She's gorgeous."

Roger laughed at her and shook his head, "_He _is rather pretty. That's Narcissus."

"After Greek mythology?"

"Yes," he said, petting the horse. "Go get two of those harnesses, and I'll show you something wonderful."

Interested, Anita grabbed the halters, and quickly learned how to properly fasten the buckles. Along with Narcissus, Roger grabbed a palomino mare named Aphrodite. Together they led the horses to the barn and tied them outside the stalls.

"Come here, Anita. Come look at this foal."

Quietly she approached the stall door. Inside, a solid white mare stood chewing on a view strands of hay. At her feet, in a curled pile, lay a dark reddish brown foal. As she neared the door, the tiny horse lifted his head. Staggering, he pulled himself up onto his long legs.

Anita reached over the door and stroked his out stretched nose. The brave little colt braced himself on the door and tried to reach her better. "Oh how I love babies," she whispered to herself. Out loud she asked, "Does he have a name, Roger?"

"Adonis, I believe. Right little one?" He laughed as the colt bounded off the door and ran circles around the stall. "He's adorable, isn't he?" Roger said with a smile. "I'd love a feisty horse like this one."

Anita smiled, "He's lovely, but, I the others must be bored to tears."

He turned quickly. "Alright then. Let's saddled them up."


	4. Coyote Ugly

**A.N. Hello again! Chapter four is now up! This is the shortest chapter so far, and is kind of a filler chapter.. but it was needed, I suppose.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Coyote Ugly  
**

Anita followed Roger into a dark room. Over head, a light blinked on as Roger pulled the string. The room was tiny and cluttered. The far wall was covered in saddles, each column stacked three tall. Along the other side was a long row of bridles and extra harnesses. Paper and supplies decorated the rest of the space, until there was very little room to maneuver.

"Do you think you can carry Narcissus's saddle? It looks rather heavy," Roger said, gazing at the tiny name plates.

"I can try," she retorted in defiance. "It can't be that heavy."

But she was wrong. Roger lifted the saddle off of its rack, and lowered it to her level. She staggered under the weight of the thick leather and extensive metal. Roger raised an eyebrow at her, but smiled when she didn't complain. "Here's a saddle pad…" he said, taking one from the shelf, "and his bridle."

He pulled a second set of equipment from the walls, and led the way out. Aphrodite's things were much smaller, and made of a lighter color of leather. As predicted, the pair of horses were pawing the ground gently and staring out into the fields.

They placed their saddled on the stands on the far side of the horses, quiet so as not to disturb them. Roger pulled out a few tools and walked over to the horses. Narcissus turned to watch as Roger lifted his front hoof off the ground.

"Do you see what I'm doing, Anita? These guys don't get ridden very much, so their feet are really dirty," he told her. His eyes never lost contact with his job as he scraped out mud and muck. "I think there might be another pick in the box."

Anita picked through the tool box and came across another tool. It was smaller than the one Roger was using, made more for a woman's hands. Aphrodite neighed gently at her, shaking her soft white mane. Anita stared at the horse for a few moments, rubbing a hand over her back. "What do I do, Roger?"

From the other side, Roger's head popped up behind Narcissus. "Turn around first, and then lean your shoulder against hers." She did as she was told, but the horse didn't seem to move. "Grab her foot, and she should hold it up."

Aphrodite obediently lifted her hoof from the ground so Anita could reach it. Like her neighbor, the mare's hoof was caked in filth, and it took a long time for Anita to clean it out. She was very nervous, and took extra care when rubbing the blade against her.

Roger finished long before her, and was already brushing the gelding with a rough brush. When she was finally finished with the hooves and brushing, it was time to struggle through the saddling.

She managed to slip the saddle pad on without any incidents, but she was desperately glad that she had the smaller, more gentle mare to work with rather than the stubborn gelding. Narcissus didn't seem to like it when Roger began to slip the saddle over his back, and defiantly backed up, twitching his ears.

She watched nervously for a few moments, hoping her horse wouldn't do the same. At last Roger had to limit the horse's space by tying him tighter to the post. He unchecked and rechecked the straps on all sides, pulled the stirrups down a bit lower, and wandered over to her.

Anita struggled to lift the saddle high enough to get it over her back. Roger readjusted her hands, so that get grip was stronger, and she could reach farther. Her straps were tightened easily, as her horse was not near as difficult, and allowed them to walk around her several times.

Anita managed to jump into the saddle gracefully, and didn't even get her feet caught. She pulled on the reins slightly, and let her horse have free rein. Aphrodite marched into the small patch of grass in front of the barn and started to graze. Roger slid into his saddle as well and walked up to her.

"Let's go, then." Roger had a lot more experience with horses than she had expected. Stubborn though he was, Narcissus responded to his lightest touch or word. Aphrodite followed, keeping her from having to steer much.

"It's beautiful out here isn't it?" Roger asked after they started through the pasture.

Anita nodded and glanced around. "It's peaceful out here. How much of this land belongs to your family?"

"Everything you can see, I think. I'm not sure how many acres it actually is, but a lot of it isn't used anymore."

They rode on a little longer in silence, pausing only when a tiny rabbit hopped across their path. But, despite the quiet and unfamiliar place, Anita felt eerily comfortable in the situation. The silence was not awkward, but rather calm and _normal_. It seemed somehow familiar.

"Roger?" she asked suddenly.

"Hmm?"

She opened her mouth to ask if they could go any faster, when, out of the corner of her eye she spotted something large and gray. "Can we- What is that?"

Roger pulled his horse into an abrupt stop and turned to face the unknown creature. "I think that's a coyote," he whispered, pulling Narcissus to the other direction. "Let's get away from him, we don't want to spook the horses."

Narcissus wheeled easily, back tracking onto their previous path. Anita tried to mimic the move, but Aphrodite didn't follow like she was supposed to. Instead the horse began to back away, starring intently at the beast. Her ears were twitching, and she kept swinging her head back and forth.

Her new path had taken her to the outskirts of the path, and one of her back hooves knocked into a sizable rock. Terrified, Aphrodite reared, tossing Anita to the ground, and bolted into the distance.

Anita landed on her rear, breaking her fall with her bare hands. Pain shot through her, as sharp, needle like rocks cut deep into her palms. She glanced around anxiously, watching for the coyote. It was no where to be seen.

"Roger!" she called out in his general direction. "Roger, I fell!"

With a clatter of hooves, Narcissus and Aphrodite came to stop only feet from her. Roger dismounted quickly, and hurried over to her, leading the horses behind him. "Are you alright, Anita?" he asked frantically. "Did you hit your head?"

"No, no I'm fine," she said softly, pulling herself off the ground. The concern only deepened in his dark eyes as she winced. "Really, Roger, it's only a few scrapes. I'll be back to normal in no time."

"Let me see it then. I have the first aid kit with me." They walked to one side of the horses, where Roger preceded to unlatch one of the saddle bags. He rinsed off her hands gently, and wound the bandages over the wound. "Do you think you can ride again?"

Anita glanced at the mare, who was still starring around wildly, eyes flashing in the sunlight. "Could we walk for a while? I don't think I can sit down properly."

Roger nodded slightly, and pulled the horses forward.


	5. Dirty Underwear

**A.N. It took so long to write this chapter. I may never finish this story, which is okay with me since I have the whole story memorized, it's just really hard to put it down on paper. I'm trying though! And this one is short, but Roger, just like I did, has some explaining to do. Enjoy!**

**_Disclaimer:__ All characters belong to their respective owners. I claim only the characters, places, and plot of my own creation. I am not receiving any kind of payment for this work._**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Dirty Underwear_  
_**

It had been several weeks since there date, and Anita was quite jittery. Roger had not called her, as he said he would, nor had he stopped by. In all of this time Anita had went through a range of emotions, anger and sadness, mostly. She had even sucked up the nerve to ask her father, who replied that Roger had not been at work for sometime, and had stopped coming without warning.

On this day, Anita was doing her normal routine, with her father at work, and her mother and siblings out shopping, Anita had time to clean, dust and polish every inch of their tiny house. She had baked a new batch of the chocolate chip cookies Jimmy loved so much, and planned a big meal for their supper. When she had finally finished with every chore she could imagine she attempted to read one of her favorite books, but she just couldn't sit still.

A sudden noise caught her attention, the sound of a sports car coming up the tiny road. Intrigued, considering that sports cars did not travel up their road, no one in this neighborhood could afford anything like that, she stood suddenly. Peering out one of the living room windows, Anita spotted a shiny black convertible coming up the road. Right before her eyes it dodged a large pot hole and slid to a stop in front of their house.

Without thinking she darted into the kitchen, ducking behind the door frame. Within a few moments a timid knock sounded on their front door, and a familiar call sounded. "Anita?" Roger asked, "Anita, I know you're home!"

Eyes closed, she straightened up, and then glanced sideways into the living room. She smoothed out her skirt, and patted her hair. She gathered all of her courage and reentered the room. Trying not to act to nervous, she unlocked the peeling door, but her mouth was glued shut.

"Anita!" he said excitedly, "I thought you might not answer the door."

She opened her mouth stupidly but still could not manage a sound. She nodded her head instead.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I haven't called, but it's outrageously expensive to make calls from France. I just got home twenty minutes ago, and I came straight here."

"F-France?" she finally stammered. "Why were you in France?"

"Father had a conference. He's introducing a new line of baby dolls, the "Hailie Doll." He forced me to come for practice."

"Oh… Of course, of course. Would you like to come in?"

"Is your father home? Or your mother?"

"No, they're all out today, but come on in, please. I made cookies and a fresh batch of lemonade."

Roger stepped into the house, even pausing to kick off his shoes into the corner. He made no sound, but followed her into the kitchen, trying desperately not to focus on her swaying walk. "What have you been doing?"

"Cleaning, cooking, the usual. Did you do anything nice in France?"

"No, not really. Father had meeting after meeting to attend, and dinners and charities, and even a ball," he said, like this was a normal, daily routine, and, Anita remembered, it probably was, "but last time we went to the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. Mom's a bit of an art fanatic."

Anita smiled softly and placed the plate of cookies and the glasses down on the table. "My, that does sound lovely. I've always wanted to go to Europe. There are so many new things just across the ocean."

"I don't like it so much really. I'd rather be up on a farm somewhere, surrounded by nature."

She laughed softly; her smiled growing wider, "Coveralls and tractors?"

"The whole lot. Can you imagine?"

"I'm trying not too, really," she laughed.

For a while that's how they sat, laughing and talking about the future, they discussed their plans, careers, every detail. And by the end of it all they realized just how much they had in common, and just how far this might go.

"So, are you up for it?"

"Being your maid? You can't be serious."

"Come on, Nita. It would be a great way to earn money for college. I'll write a wonderful recommendation for you someday. Tell them just how amazing you are."

"Just for washing your underwear?"

This time he didn't answer, but gave her the strangest of looks. His deep brown eyes seemed to pour into her soul, and she just couldn't resist him. "Sure, fine, whatever!"

You would have thought someone had given him the greatest gift in the world. His bright, white smile entranced her, making her grin like an idiot, and after the second it took to scribble out a note, they had disappeared out the front door, down the walk, and into the sleek black car.

* * *

**A.N. I have to say that this piece was kind of inspired by my friends. They're both idiots that I care about dearly, and they have the biggest soft spot for each other. Roger's personality is some what similar to one of my friends, and I couldn't help but think of him when writing Roger's puppy-dog face. Lol**


	6. Propositions

**A.N. Hello! I wrote another chapter! I amaze myself sometimes, but college is boring, so what the hell. I also reread the story and realized that I was typing a bit faster than I allowed my brain to think, so I messed up some of the details. It would be a pain to try to fix the story at the moment because I don't have the original copies on me, so I'll try to sum up everything that's wrong. Roger's house _is_ called Evergreen Hill, but it is a manor type house. For those of you who have visited my deviantart page (link will be in my profile) I got Roger and Anita's moms mixed up. Their personalities are right, but their names are backwards. I plan on leaving this in the story though so that I don't confuse anyone. Sorry! If I think of anything else, I'll make sure to add to this A.N.**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Chapter VI**

**Propositions**

Anita gasped when they pulled into the drive. "It's so _big._"

Roger laughed. "That's all you've got to say? It's big?" He pulled up to the house and shut down the car. "Come on, then."

Anita unclasped her seat belt and pushed opened the door. "Does it have a name?" she asked, gesturing to the house.

"Sure. It's called 'Evergreen Hill'," he told her, casting a sideways glance at her. "Ironic, isn't it?"

The girl adjusted her skirt as she looked around the property. "There aren't even any trees, are there?"

He shook his head and offered her his arm as she neared him. Feeling a bit silly, Anita took his arm and beamed at him. "It's a lovely house, though."

He smiled back and led her up to the massive doors. Pushing one of them out of the way, they entered into the entrance hall. Anita immediately felt out of place here, where everything was shiny and expensive. She was already regretting her decision to work for them.

"I don't know how well this will work, Roger," she muttered softly, resisting the urge to turn and run. "I-I just don't know. "

He ignored her; Roger continued to pull her through the house. She kept a steady string of doubts and tried to look at everything all at once. They ended up in the gigantic kitchen, surrounded by staff.

"Roger!" called a portly man, pushing through his assistants. "What brings you to the kitchen? Especially with a fine young lady on your arm?"

"Hello, Chef. I'm looking for Gretchen, have you seen her today?" Roger asked with a smile. He was always so happy, and Anita loved how nice he was to everyone.

The man looked thoughtful, one hand on his hip, and the other stroking his grayed goatee. "She said she had to clean the study after lunch, I believe."

Roger nodded and said his thanks before dragging her off towards another corner of the massive house.

* * *

Roger couldn't help the excitement. He had spent three weeks fretting over Anita. He couldn't explain the sensation, but the girl made him feel real and alive, and gave him a freedom he couldn't achieve in the world of money and politics. She had let him back in fairly quickly, and after the morning of talking, he was trying very hard not to plan their whole future in his head.

During their discussion he felt incredibly close to her. They both wanted the same things out of life, a large, happy family, pets, and freedom. They both wanted out of the city, away from the hustle and bustle where they could be themselves, and they both wanted to do something with their lives.

Roger told her about his plans to go to a special school in Nevada this coming fall, and she had whispered that while she would love to go to college and become an animal specialist of some sort, she wouldn't be able to. Finding the perfect excuse to help her was easy, So he had suggested that Anita come and work at his place, cleaning up, and he could make sure she could go to college. Her bright blue eyes lit up, and her smile was radiant. Happy tears poured down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away. She was going to say no, Roger saw it flash across her face, so he made it a little more fun. They'd laughed and she relented, eventually.

Now as they moved through the house, he felt the warmth of her hand that had slipped from his arm and now tangled around his own. She was nervous, but excitement tingled under the surface.

Roger knew his parents weren't home yet, they had gone out shortly after returning to the house, but he breathed a sigh of relief when the study doors were wide open.

Gretchen, the house keeper, was on a small step stool dusting the nick-knacks that were lined on one shelf. His father wasn't the sentimental type, but those artifacts, the family portrait, his wedding picture, the picture of his parents among others, were incredibly special. Gretchen turned her head and spotted them as they entered the room.

The elderly lady stepped down and adjusted her clothing. "Hello dear! Who's this?"

"Gretchen, this is my girlfriend, Anita. I offered her a job with you," he said, smiling down at the girl in question.

The older lady beamed at her and pulled her into a one armed hug. "Ooh! Hi dearie! Aren't you a pretty little thing? "

Anita blushed furiously. "Why, thank you, Gretchen," she mumbled.

"Well, dearie, there's no reason for you to be here on a fine Saturday like today. You youngin's go have some fun, and you show up here bright and early Monday morning, Missy."

Anita smiled at the lady, and curtsied sweetly, "Yes ma'am."

* * *

With little else to do, and several hours to spend it on, Roger grabbed up Anita and gave her a proper tour of the house. They paused a few times so that she could linger on the art work, or in the case of the library, the books. Roger found that just this, holding her hand and letting her into his world, fascinated him, and made him happy.

While she examined every inch of his home, he took the time to watch her, to pick up on her little quirky habits. She was naturally graceful, and he was quite sure she'd be an amazing dancer. Her blue eyes lit up whenever she came across something new and exciting. Roger had also noticed the first disappearance of her outer shell.

As they talked and spent more time together she grew increasingly bold, and while she continued to blush, she was asking him questions and volunteering information she didn't seem quite sure she should share, and he loved every minute of it.

With every breath he took, he was becoming more and more aware that something was growing between them, and the thought made him giddy.

* * *

After a whole day spent with Roger, Anita was positively beaming. Roger had driven her to the house, but she wouldn't allow him to walk her to the door. She pulled open the front door and stepped over the threshold.

Once she was inside with the door closed, she glanced around the room. The lights were on and the door was unlocked, so she expected her family to be somewhere nearby. And sure enough when the door snapped closed; Jimmy came bounding into the room.

Anita stooped down and picked him up in a big hug. He giggled and shrieked. When she set him on the floor a few moments later, she became aware of the new presence in the room.

"Hi Mama," she said, giving her a nervous smile. "I got a job today."

The older woman squinted her eyes and looked murderous. "What do you need a job for?"

"Well, I-I need to start saving for college, Mama. I only have one year of school left," she said, resisting the urge to drop her head in shame.

May tapped her foot impatiently. "I thought you were out with that Darling boy."

Anita swallowed; this was the real point of all of this. She nodded slowly. "Yes, Mama, Roger came by and took me to his house. He's giving me a job at his house, assisting the house keeper." Dread was settling deep in her stomach and she wished someone could distract them from this awful conversation.

A smug smile coated her mother's lips. "_See?_ Anita he is _using _you! And now you're going to be cleaning his mansion!"

Anger flared in that pit of dread that was her stomach. "No, mother, he's not. I couldn't let him pay for me to go to college any more than I could ask Daddy. Roger is _helping_ me!"

May opened her mouth to say something else, but Anita had already turned and was headed for the stairs. She climbed the steep steps quickly and threw open her bedroom door. Stephanie stood in front of the mirror trying on all of her new clothes she had gotten today.

"Ooh, Nita! How was your date? Did you go to a restaurant?" she asked excitedly.

She rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed, kicking her shoes off as she went. "Not now, Stephanie. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

Still the girl continued to bounce and ask questions. Anita simply blocked it out, and eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

When Roger returned home he was grinning from ear to ear, and he hadn't even stolen a kiss yet. It was very nearly dinner, so he had just enough time to change clothes before having to face his family. He wasn't sure if anything could dampen his mood.

Everything in the dining room was just the same as always. His parents were separated by the entire table, his brother on one side, his seat on the other. The kitchen staff had laid out the evening meal, a large roasted chicken and an assortment of sides. But the air of the room seemed lighter, his mother was laughing, and his father seemed to have the traces of a smile on his usually stoic face.

"Oh, Roger, dear, your father has tremendous news!" his mother said brightly when he walked into the room.

Intrigued Roger sat down and turned toward the older man. Roger Sr. cleared his throat and turned to his eldest son. "I have a proposition for you, son," he started. "I know you want to go to that horrible engineering school in Nevada, and, while I would rather you start working with me, I have decided to let you go if you will go on an expedition for me."

Roger didn't know whether to be overjoyed or wary. "What exactly would you have me do, Father?" he asked carefully.

"Nothing incredibly hard. There is a small band of wild horses just north of that school of yours and I was propositioned to start a line of model horses to support them. I need a scout to see whether it would really be worth the energy," he said. His tone implied he really didn't care either way. "You'll leave two weeks early, spend your time looking at the land, the little village, and taking pictures. Mail everything back here and I'll make the final decision, and you are free of the company for four more years, in which time Joseph will have the time to stake his claim."

Roger paused to consider this offer. It was everything he had ever dreamed of, and all it would cost him was two extra weeks in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't see anything wrong with the plan, but he did have one question. "Why do these horses need supported?"

The man scratched his chin. "Something about the city encroaching up on their land and they don't have enough food in the winter."

Roger nodded, thoughtful. "I'll need a few specialists to come with me. A vet, a photographer, you know. I'll supervise."

"Roger Sr. extended his hand, and their chocolate eyes locked. They shook on it, and the deal was sealed.


	7. Forces of Nature

**A.N. Anyone that follows anything else I'm writing might have noticed I'm sort of on a spree. Determined to post a new chapter of everything I plan to finish in the future _this weekend_.  
**

**So expect new chapters of the following:  
**

**Vines and Thorns (its about damn time)  
**

**GRoP (that's what you're here for, right?)  
**

**Dalmatian Daze (going to try for two here)  
**

**PRV (already posted on second account)**

**A.N. 2 BTW, adult themes in this chapter. But it's tastefully vague. :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Forces of Nature**

Every day Roger would arrive at her doorstep bright and early. He was a morning person, and always so cheerful, even on the darkest of days. Anita met his bright grin with one of her own, gently threading their fingers together whenever she had the chance.

Her mother still gave her distasteful looks, and had mostly stopped speaking to her, except to comment on the housework or the cooking. Still, Anita couldn't be bothered to care; she was too caught up in emotions and feelings she couldn't comprehend.

She loved every minute of it, the time they spent together; even working in his big, fancy house was worth it. The reality of college was so close, she could taste it on her tongue, and her dreams were littered with fancy weddings and grinning babies.

Her insecurities made her pause, to wonder if she was getting in too far, but just one look into Roger's deep, adoring eyes, and she knew that even if it was all going too fast, he was feeling the same things she was.

Not even the shadow of his fast approaching departure could blot out their happiness.

This morning he had dropped her off at the manor, kissing her on the cheek, and leaving her blushing scarlet as he disappeared to run an errand. The housekeeper found her like that, hands on her hips as she clicked her tongue.

"Come on, missy. That boy'll be back 'fore you can snap your fingers," Gretchen said, shaking her head.

Anita giggled. "Yes, ma'am. Where should I start today?"

Gretchen gave her a smile, "Mr. Darling's study needs a good dusting. I'll be in the sitting room."

Anita nodded and left for the utility room to grab her own supplies.

**o.O.o**

Roger slipped back into the house just after eleven, dropping his things on one of the tables in the entryway before going in search of Anita. He found her, surprisingly enough, tidying up his room, humming a soft tune as she vacuumed the carpet.

The added noise gave him the perfect chance to sneak up on her. He placed the flower he had in his hand on the dresser and creeped forward on his toes. When he was directly behind her, he slid his under her arms and grabbed her by the waist.

Anita jumped and gave a small yelp, turning around abruptly. She gave him a half-hearted glare, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling as he laughed.

"What _are _you doing?" she asked, followed by her own soft laugh.

When he finally managed to calm down, he reached for her again, giving her a sweet kiss. "Just thought I'd say hello."

She shook her head at him, trailing her fingers over the material of his shirt. "You scared me on purpose, didn't you?"

Her bright blue eyes flickered up to meet his darker ones, a happy glint in them. "Well… Maybe just a little."

She laughed again, pulling herself out of his arms. "I have to finish this," she added a few moments later, nodding to the vacuum.

"And I brought you something."

Her eyes traveled back to him. "Roger…" she sighed, but her smile picked back up when she saw what he had in his hand.

He slid the bright flower into her outstretched hand, and watched as she brought it to her nose. "Oh, it's so lovely!" she said, tucking the pink blossom behind her ear and turning to face the mirror.

"Only the loveliest for you, 'Nita," he told her, turning so he too could take in her reflection. She blushed again. "How about lunch? You can do this later."

Her smile turned mischievous. "I don't know how my boss would like that. Taking off with someone while I'm supposed to be working…" she trailed off, flexing her hand ever so slightly, edging it ever closer to his.

Roger took her offered hand, linking them together, before dragging her to the door. "I can promise you, he doesn't mind _at all_."

And with that the two of them laughed their way into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. Chef had made it easy for them; a small picnic basket was already waiting for them on the counter, filled with fresh food.

**o.O.o**

Anita watched as Roger spread the blanket out on the ground, forsaking the comfortable shade on the gazebo for the more private nook among the rose bushes. To make herself useful, Anita began pulling out their meal, her smile growing a little wider when she spotted that Chef had made her sandwich just the way she liked it and had even sliced her favorite fruit.

She felt like a welcome part of the family for the most part. Certainly the help adored her as much as Roger himself and Bella… Bella was the sweetest woman she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Even Joseph was trying harder to be nice to her, sometimes it was almost genuine. Only his father seemed to thoroughly disapprove, which was only to be expected.

After a moment of pondering the wonder that had somehow became her life, Anita felt the slightest of touches on her bared ankle, and glanced quickly at Roger. He gave her his best innocent grin, continuing to draw tiny circles on one small patch of skin.

"R-Roger," she stuttered as an icy chill ran down her spine, "stop that."

He didn't answer, working his fingers farther up her leg, his artwork growing abstract and tangled. Anita shivered, reaching to still his hand, only to have her action halted as Roger skipped upward, cupping her cheek suddenly and pulling her into a deep kiss.

They broke apart, gasping for air, the air tense and needy. "Wha-"

"Shh," he shushed her, grabbing the back of her head and drawing her into another fierce kiss, searing her very soul. Roger pressed into her, and she relented, until she could feel the heat and pressure from his bod hovering just slightly over her.

Things were escalating so rapidly that neither was very sure how one thing was leading to the next. So many things were wrong, the blinding sun hovering just above Roger's tanned shoulder, the crunching of the dry grass underneath the thin blanket, and the fact that twenty people were just a few yards away, wide awake and perfectly aware of where they were, and even that wasn't enough to pause them.

Instead things were as they were, a few strange moments mixed with pain and pleasure that left them sweaty, confused, and desperately wanting away from one another.

And, for just a fraction of a second before they separated, she felt as though a weird little flutter in the back of brain was trying to tell her something vitally important.

* * *

**A.N. 3 Oh noes. That didn't work out as well as it should have. Hmm. **


	8. Disastrous Happenings

**A.N. Wow! I didn't know anyone was actually reading this. Hehe. No promises on the next chapter though.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Disastrous Happenings**

Roger made a hasty excuse and left the house almost the moment they stepped back inside. He didn't even pause to say goodbye before he was out the door again and speeding down the drive. Anita fought off her tears, but she couldn't muster the energy to tear her eyes away from the front windows.

"Come on, missy," Gretchen called for her. "Plenty more work to do."

Anita shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay," she answered quietly and made her way to the stairs to collect her supplies.

"You alright there, girlie? You're as pale as a ghost."

"Oh, um, yes. I'm fine, thanks."

Gretchen squinted at her for a long moment, but eventually she seemed satisfied. "Finish up upstairs, but after that I'm sendin' you home."

"Yes, ma'am." She didn't even think to argue. Going home sounded so much better.

**o.O.o**

Anita pulled the vacuum behind her, hands wrapped in the long heavy cord as she made her way to Joseph's room. She knocked; just to make sure he wasn't about, but the door was open wide enough for her to tell it was empty.

Joseph was a bit tidier than Roger; his room was almost too clean, really. She'd never seen so much as a misplaced sock in his room, but he left the vacuuming and dusting for them to do. Anita moved swiftly to dust the shelves, eager to get done so she could flee to the comfort of her own bed. She was in such a hurry that she accidently knocked one of his polo trophies to the floor. Who had ever heard of anyone playing polo around _here_ anyways?

The trophy landed with a muffled thud on the soft carpet, and she let out a huffed curse as she bent to retrieve it. "Well, well. Maybe you aren't so stuffy after all. I was beginning to think _I _was the one from the streets."

Anita straightened up an instant later, clutching the heavy thing in one hand. "Not funny, Joseph. I'm about done, then you can have your room back."

"No need to leave," he said with a smirk, leaning against the door frame. His eyes danced with humor. It was amazing how he and Roger could look so similar and be so very different. "What has my loathsome brother done to you? Are you fighting?" he asked then, still a little too up beat for her taste. "I was wondering when the honeymoon was going to end."

She growled under her breath, but did her best to bite her tongue. Yelling at him wasn't going to make her feel any better. "I just feel a bit queasy. Nothing's wrong with us." At least she hoped so. They just needed a little space.

"That's a shame. I'm still betting on a big break up though. Especially when he leaves next week."

A lump formed in her throat and all her little fears that she worked so hard to stomp out began whispering in the back of her mind. "He's only going to see about some work. And then he'll be at school."

Joseph snickered at her, finally moving from the door way, only to step up closer to her. "So many temptations when you're far away though. Honestly, you should be begging him to stay. Or asking to come with him. Aren't you worried? Some smart, pretty girl with an eye for science could come along…"

She was worried that something like that might come up, but she wasn't about to let him know it. "Roger isn't like that, Joseph. You and I both know that. Besides, he'll be back in November."

"Yes, yes he will. But three months is a long time. Especially for guys."

She blushed scarlet. "Fine, I'm done here. Goodbye, Joseph."

"See ya," he said back. She could feel his eyes on her until she disappeared around the far corner.

**o.O.o**

Gretchen had called for the mysterious driver to take her home. She'd never met him, and she'd only once caught a glimpse of the sleek limousine he drove for the Darling family. The balding man nodded at her and placed his cap on his head before popping open the rear door for her.

Anita climbed inside, taking in the rich leather interior. "Where to, miss?" he asked the moment he too had climbed inside. She couldn't see him through the thick, black glass that separated them, and assumed that his voice was coming from the speaker above the seats.

She paused. Anita desperately wanted away from here. Before she could be embarrassed, she rattled off her address and was thankful that she couldn't see the man's face.

He didn't say another word, just started the engine and left her to her own thoughts. It wasn't long before the tears over whelmed her.

In truth she hadn't put much thought into this part of her relationship, not really. All the big things had taken over. Love, marriage, family, all of that had seemed more important than _that_, but now that the time had passed, she desperately wished she had put a little more effort in.

Surely it wasn't_ supposed_ to go that way, but she wasn't really sure either. It wasn't a subject that could ever be brought up in her family. Her father might have a heart attack, and her mother was likely to have skinned her alive.

She was inexperienced, true, but she hadn't been expecting the pain. It still kind of hurt, actually, even to just sit where she was. Anita didn't think he had torn anything though, but she hadn't really checked either. Maybe she was just faulty.

Roger hadn't given the action another thought however, until somewhere about the middle. And at first it had felt so good… She hadn't wanted to tell him to stop while it felt like she might explode at any moment. But once he had stopped to think, well, it turned sour. He had stepped away from her almost instantly after he had finished, looking so ashamed of himself.

When he disappear a few minutes later she had been lost, what had happened that had caused such a chasm to open between them.

Perhaps, if she had thought about it earlier, she might have consider the fact that Roger, who had had an eternity of free time, money, and plenty of good looks and charm, perhaps he wasn't quiet as inexperienced as she was. Another thing he had up against her.

She must have looked a mess by the time the car slowed down and her old blue gray house came into view. Anita muttered her thanks as she slipped, unaided, out and shut the door quietly behind her. She wiped her eyes and trotted across the street, pausing only when she saw the shiny black exterior of Roger's car.

Both ends of the street were empty, just the rusty husks of some of the neighbors cars parked against the curb and the shiny monster that seemed to be watching her. She checked behind her one last time as she approached the door, but still there was nothing. Maybe it was her imagination. Or a mirage. Surely he wouldn't have just left the car parked there.

The front door was locked and she had to fish in her pockets for the key, all the while keeping her ears at the ready. The dog's booming bark from their slip of a back yard made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Bandit!" she called. "Hush now!" It didn't help, the dog was still barking away. Anita gave up looking for her key then, she had already checked all four of her pockets twice, and still had come up empty handed. She sighed, her day was just going so great, and slumped to the stairs.

She paid no attention when the back gate rattled a few minutes later, thinking the dog must have been pushing against it. In fact she didn't look up until she could hear the achingly slow footsteps on the side walk.

He caught her eye, the way he always had, but there was no smile on his face, and the light behind his chocolate eyes seemed to have died out. He looked grief stricken. Her heart ached, and she knew that this was how she must look, except that her eyes were red rimmed and blood shot.

"Roger," she breathed, just as he called her name.

Anita stood, ever so carefully, and took a step closer to him. Roger cast his eyes to the ground, as if he could not bear to look at her for one more second. "Anita, I – I just wanted to apologize. I had no idea… It shouldn't have gone like that. I'm sorry."

She sniffled. "It's not your fault, really. It's mine."

He looked at her then, puzzled. "How could it have possibly been your fault? You were frightened, I'm sure. You even tried to stop me, but I didn't realize, not 'til it was much too late."

"But I'm… I'm broken," she guessed that was the right way to say it.

He laughed at her, but not with his overwhelmingly happy laugh. No, this was more of a nervous chatter. "Broken? You are the most stunning creature I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. How could _you _possibly be broken?"

She blushed; too busy being embarrassed to take the compliment. "I – It… It kind of…" she lowered her voice until it was so quiet he could barely hear her, "…_hurt." _

Instantly Roger tensed up, retreating back to his stony, broken expression. "Oh god," he whispered to himself. Both of his hands twitched, as if he was warring with himself over whether to hold her or to stay away. At last the former seemed to win and he pulled her against him softly.

It wasn't enough, and soon she had her face buried into his chest, and the tears returned with vengeance. "What's w-wrong with m-me?" she managed between sobs.

"Nothing, nothing," he chanted to her. She could feel his chin move against the top of her head as he spoke. It still didn't feel that way.

**o.O.o**

Hours later Anita woke to the sound of voices downstairs. She blinked, trying to piece together what was going on. Roger had eventually carried her up here and tucked her in her own bed, but only after he found her missing key lying off the side of the stoop where it had fallen in her hasty search for it. The light streaming in from her bedroom window was orange tinted, so it must have been sunset.

Stephanie poked her head through the door a few moments later, looking surprised to find her. "You okay?" she asked before bouncing onto her own mattress. "You don't look good at all."

"Thanks, Steph," Anita croaked as she pulled herself up. Her throat and eyes felt very dry.

"You'll _never _believe what happened to me today," she started in, as if she hadn't heard her speak at all.  
"Danielle totally stole some of those little lip gloss tubes they sell at Wal-Mart, you know? But when the guy came up to ask what we were doing she shoved them in _my _bag. Why would I steal purple lip gloss? Like that would go with my complexion at _all_."

Anita sighed; she couldn't even muster up enough energy to tell her sister off. "Steph, really. I don't feel good. Can we talk later?"

Stephanie blinked at her, but nodded. "Sure thing. Hope you feel better!" she said before bouncing back out the way she'd come.

When had her perfect life gotten so messed up? With a groan, Anita pulled her blanket back up over her head and tugged her pillow closer. So many things were wrong, and she couldn't help but think that it was only going to get worse.


	9. New Dawn

**A.N. This chapter just stretches on and on... Lol. It's long, but worth it, methinks. Enter Henry and Carter, one of which is very important, and the other is a magical gift. And yes, Flash is Babe's Rex, I just renamed him. No disrespect is meant to the Native Americans. I have quite a bit of Native blood as well, but I didn't put a great deal of research into anything I wrote in this chapter.  
**

**This random place in Nevada does not exist, hence my very unimaginative name of City, Nevada. However, the county is real! City is hidden in Elko County, Nevada, the big county in the northeast. City is found near the top of the Ruby Mountains, and the Rivers eventually flow into the Humbolt River.  
**

**Demon Mountain, the Twin Rivers, Twin Falls, Mukua Valley and Mukua Lake are my own creations as well. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**New Dawn**

Roger, while he still felt awful about the unthinkable act he had committed, felt compelled, even now, to spend every last second he could in Anita's presence. She still seemed unsure of herself, and he hated every time she shrunk in on herself. He was determined to bring back what he had so carelessly destroyed.

But time was short, his eight days were marred with a business meeting and several tear filled luncheons with his mother. Bella was no happier with his departure than he was.

Even Anita was more excited than he was. "Go! This is your _dream!_" she'd said when he expressed his concerns with her. College seemed like such a little thing at the moment.

On the night he was set to leave, Roger made sure to have the perfect night all set up. They ate at the best restaurant the city had to offer, walked the beach under the glittering moonlight, and danced shamelessly to a song only they could hear.

Despite all of that, the timing still felt off, and so, after much deliberation, Roger kept the tiny velvet box hidden in the recesses of his pocket. Anita shined all night, and he was so happy that he'd finally talked her into something so outrageous, but his pocket, and his conscience, burned.

All too soon it ended, and their driver was stopping at the Darling's dark, private hangar. They could just make out the flight crew scurrying through the tinted windows.

They both stepped out of the car, never breaking contact, even when the driver handed Roger the suitcase he was taking with him to Nevada. Silvery tears glittered in Anita's eyes as she pulled him in for a tight hug. He pecked her lips, the farthest he would although himself to go, only to be surprised when she deepened the kiss herself.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips as the separated.

"I love you too," he replied through the growing lump in his throat. "Don't forget me, okay?"

She smiled sadly, snuggling against him. "I promise."

"Good. I'll be back before you know it. Thanksgiving isn't that far away."

"Write me."

"Every day."

They continued to talk between each stolen kiss, until the plane behind them screamed to life. Time froze for a moment as they stared at the thing, and once it restarted, everything had changed.

Goodbye was impossible to say, it only stuck and festered on their tongues. They shared one last kiss, a long, sorrowful bath of wills. Anita cried a bit more, her nose growing red.

At last they parted, Roger stepped backwards quickly, arms still outstretched. His feet dragged him blindly on, towards the plane and up the ramp. A jump later and he found himself in a seat, staring out the window into the darkness. He could see Anita there, right where he had left her, hair whipping in the wind, and waving frantically in his direction.

Roger waved back for as long as he could, long after the world drifted away, and the airport was just a tiny speck on the ground. He eventually fell asleep, one hand pressed against the glass, a gentle fog forming around it with every breath.

**o.O.o**

Morning came with a bump. The plane bounced roughly on the runway as it landed, waking Roger with a start. Fresh, warm sunlight poured through the rounded windows, lighting up the whole cabin. He stretched first, popping a few places in his back and trying to release the stiffness in his neck before moving to unfasten his seat belt.

Despite the fact that he had only gotten a handful of uncomfortable hours of sleep on the plane, he had to get right to work. A dark, shiny car was waiting for him almost immediately after the exit ramp, one of his father's money men standing next to it.

The early sun glinted off of the man's sunglasses. He smiled, a large, fake grin that all professionals seemed to wear. "Roger, welcome to the middle of nowhere."

"Carter," he said as a way of greeting, helping the pilot put his luggage into the trunk of the company car. "Where are we off to this morning?"

Carter popped one of the back doors open, climbing in after Roger, and pulled off his sunglasses. "Up the valley," he said, gesturing in the general direction they were headed, "to see 'Old Man Johnson' the locals call him." The false façade slipped and a hint of Carter's true disgust showed through.

"What is the city's name?" Roger asked, peering out the window at the few buildings that were clustered together. It was impossibly small compared to the great cities he had seen.

Carter chuckled in the seat next to him. "You call this a city? New York is a city, _Paris _is a city, this is a blip on the map."

Roger sighed, although he silently agreed. "What would you call it then?"

"No idea, son. But the people of this place seem proud of it, might as well call it by name. Even if it is a pipe dream. City, ha!" Carter threw his head back dramatically when he laughed, shaking the entire car.

Roger held his tongue after that, taking in the strange terrain instead.

**o.O.o**

It took nearly an hour and a half to reach the tiny house perched on the mountain side. The place was old, and had had an addition build on at one point or another. Roger could see the line where the siding didn't match up all of the way.

All around the sad little house, the fields were lush and green, dotted his white poofs that could only be far off sheep.

Carter walked up to the door and knocked, shaking the door and the whole building it seemed. Ten minutes, and three more tries, passed before an old man came to the door.

Old Man Johnson lived up to his name. His long, thick hair was steel colored, but peppered with white strands, and deep wrinkles crisscrossed his deeply tanned skin. Despite his age however, his presence reeked of power, and in another age he might have been chief of his tribe.

"What do you want?" he asked them, interrupting his study.

Carter made a move to answer, but Roger stepped up at once. "Roger Darling, Jr., sir. We've come about the horses?"

"Oh, oh right," he said gruffly, looking past them to the land beyond the lake. "They spend most of their time over that way."

Roger paused before he continued, giving a little extra thought to his questions. "Yes, sir. My associate here needs to speak with you about purchasing the land…"

"Take it. Everything but this place and my sheep."

That caught both of them off guard. "Sir? That's an awful lot of space."

"Build houses, a park, anything but a damn mine."

Carter's eyes gleamed. "A mine? Are there minerals here?"

Mr. Johnson focused his intense eyes on the other man. "It's Nevada, boy. You have a lot to learn."

"What, gold then?" he continued with a hint of excitement. "Roger, your father's going to want to jump on this."

"Now look here!" Mr. Johnson started in, but Roger stepped between them, trying out the sternest look he could muster on Carter.

"No, Carter. We came to protect a band of wild horses, and to make toys. There will be no mining here, even if Mr. Johnson agreed to it."

"_Roger, _come now. I was only…" he trailed off, glancing at the old man as if he had only just recalled that he was here.

Roger gave a satisfied nod and turned back to their host. The man seemed to be appraising him. "Mr. Johnson, we've already had a contract drawn up, but if you're serious about this, I can have another one delivered by tomorrow, can't I, Carter?"

"Yes, sir. I can do it as soon as we get back to town."

Both of them waited for the old man's answer, the noise of Carter's impatiently tapping foot being the predominate sound. Suddenly he took a step backward, holding his rickety door open. "Get inside. The both of you."

Roger led the way, taking in the rustic atmosphere. The old furniture didn't really match, and the wood floors were worn. One shelf was covered in a display of various animal skulls. But the atmosphere was cozy and warm. While Carter hovered in the corner, Roger took a spot on the couch, making himself comfortable.

Mr. Johnson groaned as he slid into the old arm chair, and, just a few seconds later, the sound of paws on the wood floors and a deep throated growl. "Flash," he called, holding out one hand. A border collie came into view, he was large, and mostly black, only his feet and a tiny patch on his chest were white. The dog growled again, but took a seat next to his master's chair. "Hush, now."

"You wanted to speak with us…?"

"My land, my people's land, butts up against the national park, up the hill. It is wild, unpredictable, and in need of a steady hand. My son and I are the only ones left of our tribe, and so he will inherit it all if I cannot sell it. I love my son, Mr. Darling, I do, but he lives out in your world now. He hopes to make himself very rich, and I can't handle the thought of him carving a crater into our family's land. Stopping the Twin Rivers and the lake, of having our paradise destroyed for greed." He paused for a breath, pointing at Carter. "You remind me of my boy. Greedy. Power hungry. But you," he stopped again, turning to Roger once more. "You have a good soul. You would treat this land with respect. Money means little to you."

"Yes, sir."

"And your father?"

"He – He is not like me, sir."

"Then the land will be yours. Not in the greedy hands of you father."

Roger let the silence stretch for a respectable length of time, pondering that and how it would affect his father. Once he had decided it was long enough he asked, "How much do you want for the land, Mr. Johnson?"

The old man shrugged, "Whatever its worth, more or less. I have this, hold on now…" He turned to the small table beside his chair and shuffled through some papers in the drawer there. "Here you go."

He held out an old paper, wrinkled and faded. The curling letters at the top was hard to read, but the bold, type-writer letters still stood out.

"The government just _gave _you nearly 3300 acres?!" Roger asked after scanning the deed.

"This land was claimed by the leader of our tribe in the 1800s. He was a smart man, and knew how to speak this language. The people of City owed him a great deal after their first winter, and so he traded many of our customs and ways for citizen status.

Up here in the mountains, they were free to do as they pleased. We were a mockery among the other tribes, and never were a part of the white men, and so we are a little known legend."

Carter yawned, obviously bored with Mr. Johnson and his long speeches. "This fantastic and all, but we really need to be leaving, Roger."

"Carter, what is the balance left in my personal account?" Roger asked, never looking at the man in question.

Silence stretched while Carter tried to find the sum, and then, "3.2 million, I believe." Mr. Johnson's eyebrows raised the tiniest amount possible; the shock was well hidden, but still noticeable.

Roger smiled reassuringly. "And the school has already pulled out their sum?"

"Yes, of course."

Roger drummed his fingers on the worn armrest of the couch. "Well then. Do you have any outstanding offers, Mr. Johnson?" The old man shook his head, clutching his own armrest tightly. "What is the average price per acre in Nevada, Carter?"

"No idea, sir."

"Hmm," he mumbled, doing some math in his head. "Mr. Johnson, does 1.6 million sound like an adequate amount for your land?"

The old man seemed speechless. Roger hoped he hadn't given the poor man a heart attack. "1.6 million? 1,600,000 _dollars_?" he said at last.

Roger's smile grew. "Yes, sir. For the land beyond the lake, the mountain top, and anything else you want rid of."

"My sheep need space," he said. His dark eyes had a far off look to them. "And my yard. Thirty acres should do, land that you may come across as you wish, Mr. Darling."

"We'll soon be neighbors, please, it's Roger."

"Henry."

Misty eyed though he was, Henry smile beamed. "1.6 million dollars. What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Keep it safe," Roger suggested, grinning as he offered his hand.

Henry shook it. "Those fences are finally going to get fixed. And a new barn. And Zip's cataracts," he said happily, patting his dog's head.

"So tell me," Roger stated in again," how many dogs do you have?"

Henry just kept on smiling. "Four. Flash, Fly, Switch, and Zip."

Roger nodded. "They must work real hard out here. Lots of space."

"There are two types of sheepdogs, Roger. Those that guard and those that guide. Mine do a bit of both, really. Lots of predators in the mountains. Cougars, bears, coyotes, and wolves."

"Wolves?" Roger pressed on, despite Carter's silent protests beside him.

"A few. Someone released those ages ago. Now they come and go as they please. Picking off sheep whenever they can."

"Well –" Roger went to say, but stopped mid-sentence. He grinned from ear to ear as he stood up, "Henry, it was a pleasure meeting you. I suppose we'll be back sometime tomorrow, if that's alright. When would be best for you?"

The old man shrugged, pulling himself up as well, while Flash paced carefully at his heels. "Anytime."

They shared a few more pleasant words as he showed them out. Carter practically ran to their car, rapping on the window to wake up the driver.

Roger waved as they disappeared down the gravel drive. He had much left to do, but, for whatever reason, he felt like he had finally found his place in the big picture.


	10. The More Things Change

**A.N. OMG. Why did I just sit down and write two chapters? Eek. Anyway, here's the next part. Like a week and a half too early. Lol. This is a very, very important chapter. And MORE new characters. Yayz!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**The More Things Change**

Roger spent the rest of his time in the mountains, scouring every last corner of the land he had purchased. With Henry's permission they rushed the transaction, and now his fancy signature was scrawled across the paperwork. It was his.

The bright blue sky, the sparkling water, everything. He didn't even mind the junk that was piled on top of the mountain. All in good time.

When he returned Henry's trusty old horse, and the one dog that had followed him on all of his excursions, for the last time he felt an emptiness form in the pit of his stomach. He had great plans for this place, some of which were already under way. Three dark blotches in the distance marked the place where the wild horses, his horses, were currently residing at, most of them hidden from his sight.

They would not go hungry this winter, and his photographer had already sent off dozens of photos to the sculptures that worked for his father. He knew he had done all that he could in the short period of time he had been allotted. The bigger plans would have to wait.

The truck he had rented for his journeys didn't gleam as much as it had. Dust and mud coated every surface. He sighed when he slid behind the wheel, searching the greenery, searing it into his brain one last time before making his way back into town.

**o.O.o**

Another plane was waiting on him, foolish waste of energy he couldn't find a way out of, the drive south would have been good for his head. He didn't sleep this time, his brain was much too alive to take the short nap he could have squeezed in.

Still, it was only a blink of an eye it seemed until they were landing again. Las Vegas was an entirely different planet than the mountain had been. Sandy, hot, and dry.

The weather wasn't his biggest concern, and he ignored the instant sweat on the back of his neck. He was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that someone had sent up his car, and that he wouldn't have to rely on driver and rentals for the time being. One of the helpful men at the runway had given him a handy map of the city, and the day was starting to look up.

That feeling was short lived however, his father had spared no expense decorating and furnishing his apartment, bigger than most families probably lived in, and that happened to include several servants. His new cleaning crew was dusting and straightening throw pillows, and a chef was organizing the kitchen area.

Aggravated, Roger stormed back out of the building almost the moment he walked in. He had high hopes that being on his own would be just that. He only wanted to be normal, common. Instead his father was probably going out of his way to spy on him.

The day wasn't going to get any better he feared, and decided to hide for a bit, walking down the crowded streets and searching for a tiny place to eat. As luck would have it, he managed to find a nice diner and slid into a booth, dejected.

Heels clattered on the tile floor, and he looked up, expecting a waitress. He hadn't expected a familiar face.

"Tiffany," he said, looking up into the face of his last serious girlfriend.

The red head beamed, batting her heavily done eyes. "Oh it is you!" she squealed. "What on earth are you doing in Las Vegas!?" Then, without a proper invitation, she slid easily next to him, forcing him to scoot closer to the wall to make room for her.

She hadn't changed much. Her hair was darker now, a rich, although false, red, but she had the same dazzling blue eyes that had captured his attention first. Blue eyes seemed to be a weakness of his, he thought, making himself smile.

Unaware that the smile wasn't intended for her, Tiffany pressed a little closer, placing one perfectly manicured hand on his leg. "Well? Are you going to talk, or have I made you speechless?" She giggled, her metal bracelets jangling as she place her other hand over her mouth.

"I – I'm going to school here. What exactly are you doing here, Tiffany? Last I heard you had taken off to New York."

She made a delicate little noise. "New York? I wish. Daddy sent me here, after, well – " She cut off abruptly, and suddenly glanced around the room. "Never mind, it's not that important."

Roger was puzzled. Tiffany was the Mayor's oldest daughter, older sister to Joseph's currently fling, Penelope. The Hopes and the Darlings were some of the closest families in all of LA's finest, certainly that many people couldn't be mistaken. It was no secret that Tiffany had left for the east coast to model.

Over the past three years he hadn't thought much about it, but he had never seen her in any magazines or shows. "Did you get yourself into some trouble? You know, if you need anything, just ask," he offered helpfully, despite the tiny voice in his head reminding him of how things had gone the last time they had been in close quarters.

Something was truly off about her, although it was hidden beneath the bubbly, fake exterior that she rigorously applied each and every day. "Trouble? No, no. I'm well taken care of. It's nothing really. I need to be going. Enjoy your dinner, Roger. It was nice seeing you." She got up hastily after that, fleeing the restaurant as fast as she could on her thin heels. So hastily in fact, that she left behind her purse. One of those giant ugly things with the neon flowers.

He thought to go after her, although he didn't really want to get mixed up in whatever problems she had going on, but before he could make a definitive decision, Tiffany came back in. She had that deer caught in the headlights kind of look, wide eyed and frightened.

She took the few steps between the door and his table, but her whole body seemed tense, and a true blush was shining through her made up cheeks. "Sorry. I totally forgot my purse." Tiffany tried to smile, but it only came out as a grimace.

"What's going on?" he asked, holding her purse hostage for the moment.

She took a calming breath, but it didn't look like it helped all that much. "Nothing, really. None of your concern. I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"Tiffany," Roger tried again. He was worried now. "Honestly, we were friends once, weren't we?"

She laughed. "Friends? Yes, I suppose. The kind of friends that romped all over the Caribbean like a pair of bunnies, yeah?"

That brought back a series of uncomfortable feelings from all different places, but Roger forced a nod. "I guess you're right."

"Let's just say I got a little more out of that trip than a few saucy memories, okay? Leave it at that. It's nothing. Move on. Penny says you've got a little peasant on your arm now."

Roger considered himself a smart man, a brilliant one even, but for whatever the reason, he couldn't make her words make sense. He was so stumped, he hadn't even thought to defend Anita's honor. "What do you mean 'a little more'?" he asked instead.

Tiffany sighed. "You don't want to know. Trust me. You're happier where you are. And we're , uh, I'm okay. Okay?"

He wondered if the rest of the patrons could see the gears in his brain whirling, only to come to a startling , heart wrenching halt. A weaker being would have fainted. "What?!"

He didn't need her to answer. He saw it in her face. Roger jumped to his feet, grabbed her by her arms and gave her a shake. "Why didn't you tell me? WHY?"

Fat tears came trickling down her cheeks, and he instantly relaxed his grip. "Tiffany, oh god. I don't understand."

"I – I didn't have a choice," she choked out, wiping her eyes. "They sent me out here and made me be quiet. Only Penny calls me now… but I'm not even allowed to tell her, Roger. I'm sorry."

"They know? My father knows about this, doesn't he?"

She nodded. Sobs wracked her body.

The world turned shades of red. Roger started hyperventilating, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails were biting into his palms. It took several minutes for him to calm down. Very aware that everyone else in the restaurant was staring, he gritted out two words. "Show me."

Shakily, Tiffany grabbed at her bag, popping the zipper open. It took her several tries, but she finally got her wallet opened up, and showed him the row of small photographs. Behind the one of her family, and one of her sister, a tiny boy grinned up at him. His pale hair was cut short, and his deep chocolate eyes seemed to be watching him through the picture. Roger searched the boy's tiny face. The blond hair could have come from either side, but the eyes were his, a perfect copy. And his nose, and Roger could make out some of his own mother in the boy's smile.

His chest constricted, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. The boy had to be two, but there was no denying it. He could feel it in his very soul. A little boy. His little boy. And he hadn't been hidden all of this time.

"What's his name?" he managed at last, unable to tear his eyes away from the small face.

"Jack," she said, the corner of her mouth turning up just slightly. "Jackson Scott."

**o.O.o**

Far from all the action out in the desert, Anita was scrubbing her teeth. Her stomach had felt all right before hand. In fact she'd felt perfectly fine until the moment she needed to throw up. "Eww…" she groaned, flushing the toilet again to get rid of the extra evidence.

The vomiting seemed to have helped though. Her stomach didn't feel so awful now. Actually she just felt hungry.

She was glad that it was Sunday, and that she wouldn't have to go to Roger's house. Especially if she was going to be caught completely off guard the next time she got sick. Instead Anita rummaged around her own house, tidying things up as she munching on crackers.

She was a bit put off that she seemed to be the only one in the house that was ill, but that was quickly dismissed. Luckily, Anita didn't feel the urge to vomit any more that day, and didn't think a thing of it. Throwing it off as a fluke.

The day passed quickly without any other incidents either, and soon it was night. Her dreams were unburdened, filled with happy things. Rainbows, smiles, and flowers.

It was all short lived. Her one time fluke came back with a vengeance. Anita called Gretchen and took the day off, today she felt absolutely miserable. Achy even. She tucked herself back into bed and slept the day away, but her dreams weren't so magical this time.


	11. The More They Stay the Same

**A.N. I know, I know. Love triangles are over done. So trust me, this isn't a typical triangle, which you'll see in the first couple of sentences. **_**I **_**don't like Tiffany any more than anyone else does.**

**You weren't expecting this though, I guess. That was the point. Nice, big twist that throws everything out of whack. I do love Jack though. He's got to be the sweetest boy ever in creation. This story will never go far enough to show his whole story, but SPOILER ALERT **_**Jack **_**is the owner of the Eight Below / Snow Dogs / Balto dogs, an Iditarod musher, and marries sweet new comer Jill. :D I do love him.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**The More They Stay the Same**

Tiffany still seemed spooked as she led him out of the diner and to the street. She tried to hail a taxi, and after a few misses, a yellow cab pulled up beside them. Roger, still shaken up himself, helped her into the car. Two words ran through his head like a sick chant, _Anita, Jack, Anita, Jack, Anita, Jack… _On and on it played, confusing him with every breath. His eyes wandered over Tiffany's form, trying to make all of the pieces fit in his head.

They had been friends at one point or another, they went to the same prep school, and despite her flighty exterior, she was actually somewhat intelligent. He remembered their entire relationship, some six months spent chasing each other throughout the school or down the beach.

Fun, yes, but little more than a high school romance. Roger had known, even back then, that she wasn't what he was after. Tiffany was going to become someone magnificent, he had been sure, and she would be designing dresses and shoes and holding galas and other prodigious events at every opportunity. That wasn't the life he wanted.

He wanted the farm and the family. All of those things he had shared with Anita, and so much more. Things Tiffany and her kind would never be able to give him.

But that was Anita. Jack… Jack promised something entirely different. Roger knew what it was like to grow up and know that he was a disappointment. Joseph was the golden boy, and he was little more than a nasty snail on the carpet, or so it had always seemed.

But where Roger had failed as a father, Bella had made it so much better. She was the best mother anyone could hope for, and she had loved all of her children equally, even when it had almost killed her.

Roger didn't have to wonder where Jack was now, not really. Judging on Tiffany's outfit alone, he knew that they weren't suffering. His father must be paying her a great deal to hide out in the desert and not say a word. And if Tiffany was out and about, flaunting her money, then Jack was at home, probably playing with his millions of toys, while a nanny watched over him.

Nanny's weren't inherently bad, he knew, but he'd grown up listening to his mother bad mouth every lady that came in, trying to enforce his father's rules. Bella had successfully resisted, and her boys never saw more than the occasional babysitter. Something about that made him against the idea as well.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn't even realized they were pulling to a stop somewhere across town. A series of condos that rose high into the sky. Tiffany offered the driver her credit card, and then stepped out of the vehicle to lead him in.

Tiffany didn't say a word to him the entire trip, even in the long elevator ride to the twentieth floor, but he was at least relieved that she was starting to calm down. Her hands didn't even seem to be shaking anymore.

The elevator opened into a giant empty hall. There wasn't any color, just shades of white and cream. Tiffany reached one door, marked with silver numbers as 2019, and stepped into her domain.

It seemed much the way he expected it to be. Everything looked frozen into place, that perfect, uncomfortable clean that only seems to be achieved by the rich, the obsessed, and the lonely. He was a little put off by the lack of personal details. Many designers encouraged that. Limiting family photos and keeping toys hidden away, but this wasn't like that.

A copy of the Hope family portrait hung over the fake fireplace. The mayor, his wife, and their daughters in all of their finest. It wasn't an old photograph, taken just before Tiffany had taken off. Penny was the only one who looked any different. She had let her light hair grow out since it had been taken. Pictures of the sisters were littered everywhere, and a picture of Penny and Joseph together too. No, the place wasn't lacking in personal artifacts, but in his cursory assessment, Roger couldn't find even one picture of the little boy he had come here to see.

Roger spun around, hoping to ask Tiffany, but found that she had disappeared somewhere deeper into the apartment. He couldn't help the worry that had threaded itself in his being, sharing space with his own fears about becoming a father with so little preparation. His heart rate was steadily increasing with every extra second he was given by himself, and hyperventilating seemed like a reasonable next step.

Just then, Tiffany stepped back into the room, behind her came an older lady, and clutching on to her hand was the boy. His chocolate eyes were wide and frightened, and he instantly buried his face against his nanny's side. "Nana," he said quietly.

Roger crumpled to the ground. "Jack."

**o.O.o**

Roger sat there on the floor for a while, unaware of anything but the deep sense of shame that had seemingly overwhelmed him. Only the series of thoughts flickering through his semi-functioning brain kept him in check.

Every tiny question he could think to ask rushed to the forefront of his mind. What's his favorite food? When is his birthday? So many things he should already know.

There were other things though. The big questions. Why? Why had no one thought that this would be important to him? And how could he have been so foolish to have never paused to think about it before?

If he had only cared a little more for Tiffany. He could have asked more questions, discovered the truth more quickly. Instead he had accepted the story and went about his business without a care in the world. And now, here he was, freaking out on the floor, feeling sorry for himself while, just three feet away, his little boy, his _son, _stood absolutely terrified.

_Way to go,_ he chided himself. It had only taken him three seconds to make Jack hate him. But as time stretched on, Roger's resolve came back, his determination to be a better father than his ever was.

He glanced up just in time to see the nanny placing Jack back down onto the floor. The boy studied him, still a little wary.

"Why you sad?" he asked, pointing at his father's face.

Roger was speechless for a few more seconds, before he quickly swiped away the tears he had previously been unaware of.

"Not sad," he finally managed, forcing himself to smile. "These are happy tears."

Jack looked back up at the nanny, who nodded absentmindedly. He took a couple steps forward, and then plopped down on his butt.

"I am Jack," he said matter-of-factly.

"I know you are. Do you know who I am?" Jack shook his head. "I'm your Daddy."

"Daddy?" he repeated, like he was trying to place the word with a meaning. After a while he said, "Okay," and that was all of that subject.

Roger asked him a few simple questions, and Jack led him down the hall to his room. Roger was so caught up in all of it, he hadn't realized that both the nanny and Tiffany had stayed back.

"Do you have a favorite toy?" he asked upon seeing the room. It was actually a little sparse.

"Puppy," he answered happily, immediately going to his bed. He picked up the stuffed animal there, sitting perfectly on top of his plain green bed spread.

Puppy turned out to be a little lopsided, faded, and stained, stuffed dog with one pointed ear. It might have once been a husky, but it was kind of hard to tell.

Jack continued to rattle on and on about everything he could, and Roger ate up every second of the chatter. Not all of it made sense, but it was pleasant either way. Listening to that, however, didn't require all of his attention, and he spent some time just taking in the space.

He had noticed before that the boy's bed was plain, no cartoon characters or even generic dinosaurs. His toys were few and far between, and those he did have looked cheap or previously used. The open closet, however, was leaking another story. Inside, someone had shoved his baby furniture into the confined space. Fancy ruffled things made of wrought iron and polished wood. _Darling Inc. _was scrawled across the bottom of a forgotten walker. His father certainly didn't make cheap anything. He thought it was beneath him.

Roger was finding out quickly that the deeper he got into this mystery, the more it felt like a dark storm cloud was gathering overhead. At least Jack seemed happy and healthy.

**o.O.o**

Once she had finally decided life was worth living, Anita managed to drag herself out of bed. Long shadows were already starting to grow as the sun lowered in the sky.

Anita slowly made her way down the stairs, causing all eyes to be on her from everyone in the living room. She scrubbed at her face with one hand and said her hellos.

"Do you feel better, Nita?" Jimmy asked from his spot on the floor.

She paused, taking another assessment of her body. "Yes, much better. Now I'm stiff." She smiled at him one last time before heading to the kitchen for a steaming cup of tea.

Anita curled up on one of the kitchen chairs while she let the water boil, holding her knees to her chest. On the table beside her, she noticed the pad of paper she kept notes on, Roger's new home number scrawled across the top.

She seemed to suddenly be filled with new energy then, and scooped up the pad and hurried to the phone hanging on the wall. The phone rang and rang, each passing moment made her grow more anxious. Anita was just about to hang up when, at last the phone clicked, "Hello? Roger? Are you there?" she asked, but there was no response. "Call me back then, please." She hung up, unconcerned, and went to finish her tea.

**o.O.o**

Roger sat in the back of another taxi on his way home, holding his face in his hands. He hadn't really wanted to leave, especially with the growing pit of darkness that seemed to have taken root in his stomach. Jack had been ready for bed though, and the nanny, Mildred, had chased him out with a scowl. Tiffany had already disappeared, and she hadn't told anyone where she was off too.

Mildred had looked unconcerned, and Jack hadn't asked for her the entire time he had been there, so Roger took it as a sign that she did this quite often. That fact didn't sit well with him either. Sure, Tiffany had always been a spoiled, rich girl, but he had never pegged her as one of those people that didn't seem to care at all about their children.

The driver stopped at the corner of his street, and Roger climbed out. The street still felt unfamiliar. Almost hostile. The only the good thing about the rest of the night was the sheer lack of other people. All of the servants were long gone by the time he unlocked the door.

He went through the space flicking on every light switch he could find, lighting up everything, when a tiny flashing light caught his eye. The phone was perched on a tiny stand in the living area, the answering machine with it blinking sleepily.

Aware that he would most likely regret it in the morning, Roger ignored the light, slipping off his clothes and collapsing in the giant bed that took up the majority of his bedroom. Still, sleep didn't come until the first hint of dawn lightened the sky outside his window.

* * *

**A.N. See? Even Roger doesn't really like her. No worries. :)**


	12. The Fallout

**A.N. Back again. Things are still looking a little murky, unfortunately. Be patient. On a sadder note, I have finally decided how to end this part of the story. Whether or not I'll write the sequel is still up in the air though. There's just not enough backbone for that part... Ugh. Maybe some drabbles? I just don't know.**

**And to BVRG0614, my only fan, you are either entirely to smart for your own good, or I'm a little too predictable. Lol**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**The Fallout**

That blinking light was still there when he woke up. Red and taunting him to pick up the phone, to press that button. As much as he wanted to, needed to, Roger couldn't bring himself to do it. Not today. Not without thinking everything through.

What would happen if he let the news spill? Would his father drop in and find a way to erase it all? Make it impossible to find Jack and keep his future securely where it was supposed to be placed, or would he force his hand, come up with a story that would force them all back to the city and leave Anita in the dust? Neither option was acceptable.

Instead, Roger would have to do things how he always had, on his own. He had to figure this mess out by himself, and if that meant keeping everyone else in the dark for the few days it would take him to come up with a good solution, if one could even be found, then that's what he was going to do. He couldn't risk the alternative.

With new determination, Roger went off to do his errands. College was still looming over his head, an unwanted burden that was weighing him down even farther. When had life gotten so damn hard? Three hours and two bookstores later, Roger pulled in front of the largest mall he could find, a two story, sprawling monster of a store.

This is what he had dreamed about the night before, once he had finally fallen into a fitful sleep. Shopping, making up for the past few years. Birthdays and Christmases and every other holiday he could imagine.

The money felt like it was burning through his pocket, and it would take all of his restraint not to blow a few thousand dollars in unnecessary mountains of toys or clothes. But he couldn't help the childish glee that filled his heart, Roger grinned at the glass fronted building. _This, _he thought. _This is it. _

**o.O.o**

This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. He wasn't supposed to get distracted and forget about the blinking light on his answering machine. But here it was, already three weeks later… He'd been so busy. There was always more to do, things to take care of.

Except today. Today he was going to lounge about. Take inventory. Make things right. And then the little flashing light was hovering over him again.

He took a deep breath and braced himself for the worst. Twelve missed calls. Most of them were from his mother, who sounded more and more worried each time, one was a long drawn out wrong number, and the last two were from Anita.

"_Hello? Roger? Are you there? Call me back then, please," _she said. Her voice soft and sweet, just like it had always been.

Her next call was a little more timid, _"Roger? Your mother is making we worry. I know you're busy, but can't you call someone? Love you. Bye."_

Roger picked up the phone after that, hesitating while he prepped his speech in his head, then he dialed the number and waited for the other one to be picked up.

"Evergreen Hill, this is Debbie speaking. How may I help you?"

Roger sighed, Debbie, his mother's personal assistant. As if she really needed one. "Hello, Debbie. Put my mother on, please."

"Oh Roger! Bella's been out of her head with worry!" she chided. He could just hear the tapping of her heels on some hard floor. "Bella! Bella, Roger finally -"

"Roger William Darling Jr. how dare you scare your poor mother like that!" Bella said angrily, she must have snatched the phone straight out of Debbie's hand.

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm sorry. I've been busy."

"Too busy to tell us you made it!"

"Surely the staff -" he tried again, only to be cut off.

"I don't care. _You're _the one that's supposed to call, Roger. So help me, next time, next time I'll -"

"There won't be a next time," he assured her. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"Good, good." She paused before asking, "Have you called Anita yet?"

"No…"

"She's in even more of a panic than I am, although she won't admit it, of course," his mother said affectionately. "That one's a little hard headed, don't you know?"

"Mhm. Well, I was just calling to check in. I have to go."

"Tuesday. Call me again on Tuesday."

"Yes, mother."

He hung the phone up quickly after that. The next phone call was going to be more difficult by far. His mother didn't have to know anything yet. She could be kept out of the loop for a while at least, but Anita… He could lie to her, and he couldn't tell her the truth yet either. He needed more time, the one thing he was quickly running out of.

It took all of his will power to dial her number. He prayed that she would be the one to pick up.

On the fourth ring the line clicked. "Hello?"

"Anita," he sighed with relief, even though the sound of her voice was sending shockwaves of guilt through his system.

"Oh my god. Roger, thank goodness you're okay! I mean, um…"

"It's all right. I should have called."

"Everything is all right isn't it?" she asked. He hated how frightened her voice sounded.

"Yes, no, I'm not really sure," he answered truthfully. "But its not something I can talk about, Anita."

"Okay." She sounded so sure, she trusted him too much. That only made him feel worse. "I'm here. Whatever you need."

Silence stretched. What did he need? "I just want you to be happy. Don't let me ruin you life, okay?"

"Ruin…? What on earth are you talking about?"

"This thing… If I let you get involved…I can't do that. I won't make you do this." He took a breath. "This isn't your fight." Anita seemed speechless, so he forced out more words. "I'm sorry. It's just, right now, I have to fix this by myself. It shouldn't take long, but… but it might be a little more complicated if things work out."

When Anita finally spoke, he could tell she was trying hard not to cry as his words sunk in. "I - I don't understand."

"I know," he breathed. He felt dangerously close to tears himself. _Jack_, he thought. _This is for Jack. _That didn't make it any easier.

**o.O.o**

Anita felt she had lived two separate lives, the one before the phone call and the one after it. She wanted to feel sorry for herself, but found she didn't have the time. Between the strange flu that still plagued her and the constant influx of work, her schedule was full. She still scrubbed house for Gretchen all week, the loveable hag wouldn't take no for an answer.

It was painful, rushing about his house, but she had become almost numb to it. At least she didn't have to suffer more by being in his space. The servants had taken it upon themselves to make her life as easy as possible when she was there, and for that she would be eternally grateful. Even Bella seemed keen on making her life better by inviting her out to lunch and tea. It seemed like every day she was coming around to ask Anita's opinions on colors and fabrics.

Even on a wet, cool, day like this one, she wouldn't let it ruin her. At lunch, Anita followed Gretchen into the kitchen where they propped themselves up on the stools around the island and listened to Chef's stories while he cooked. At one point the two of them got caught up in an argument over silly things that had happened many years before.

"Mmm… Chef, you are amazing, you know?" Anita said between bites of whatever delectable meal he had placed in front of her.

"I'd say, missy, you ate the entire thing by yourself!" Gretchen pointed out, gesturing at the silver platter piled high with dishes and crumbs. "Don't you ever eat anywhere else?" the older woman laughed.

"All the time," she replied. It was certainly true, she ate every chance she had anymore. Sometimes she even made herself sick from eating so much.

"Not pregnant are you?" Joseph asked as he slid into the room. He enjoyed goading her as much as physically possible these days. "Father might have a cow."

She ignored him the best she could. Pregnant? Certainly not.

"You do look a little bigger 'round the middle."

"Master Joseph, please leave her be," Gretchen said. She was much softer with him than she usually was with everyone else. "She's just a bit hungry."

"Hmph. I suppose. Don't want to harm my poor little niece or nephew, huh?"

"Go on now," she said again. "No need for this nonsense."

Joseph smirked, but disappeared back the way he came.

"He's just messing with you, girlie. No worries, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Anita returned, suddenly a bit sick. No worries, right?

They hadn't tried to have sex again after the first time. She'd been too nervous and he'd been unwilling, but then again, how many girls did she know who had gotten pregnant? One time was plenty.

And it would certainly explain some things… Like the food, and the sickness. She had other symptoms, too, right? The achy feeling perhaps? And always being tired? Oh god, she thought, suddenly freezing. _Not good, Anita_.

She excused herself as quickly as possible, faking a smile to ease the tension. Anita went around the corner to the back staircase, and curled up in the corner. It seemed so impossible, like a dirty trick. The universe certainly had it out for her it seemed. She lifted her shirt, staring at her stomach, but it really didn't look any different.

Anita ran her hand over her skin, poking and prodding trying to feel anything different. And then, there it was, right around the waist band of her pants, a hard knot. It wasn't very big, almost impossible to notice it was so tiny. Pregnant. Just thinking the word made her head spin. She couldn't possible have a baby now, especially when she was all alone. The first tears slipped past her defenses then, bubbling up and spilling over her cheeks.

She was crying so hard she didn't even realize that the last person she wanted to see at that moment had happened upon her. "I – Oh god, Mrs. Darling! I'm so, so sorry," Anita said hastily, swiping at her tears as she stood up. "I'll get right back to work."

Bella gave her a stern look. "Sit back down," she ordered. Anita complied, slumping back onto the plush carpet. "Now tell me, what's the matter? So help me, my son hasn't gone and done something else has he?"

Anita shook her head, but a silent sob shook her body.

"You know I don't agree with everything he's done it the last few weeks. He's just got caught up in his new life. Don't you worry, he'll be back soon, and then he'll realize the error of his ways."

Still, Anita couldn't mutter more than a few jumbled syllables.

"Did he call you again?"

"N-No…" she whispered.

Bella didn't seem pleased with that answer. "Chin up, Anita. You have more back bone than this. Just spit it out. Whatever it is, we can always fix it."

_Yeah right_, she thought, but resisted the next wave of sobs. "I – I think, maybe, I might be pregnant," she whispered after a few calming breaths and a long stretch of silence.

To her credit, Bella remained completely neutral. In fact her face didn't even twitch.

"You're - You're sure about this?" Bella finally commented. "Roger's already been gone a month now."

"I think so." Sudden she felt like her honor was in question, and she needed to defend it. "I'm not a very, uh, regular person. It hadn't occurred to me."

Bella looked a little uncomfortable after that, but was trying hard to conceal it. "Oh, well, thing happen, I suppose." She paused for a moment, maybe hoping Anita would fill the silence, but when she didn't, Bella continued. "Do you need anything?"

"No, ma'am. I'll be fine," she lied. She might never be fine again. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Of course. Stay away from the chemicals, won't you?"

Anita nodded and disappeared. If only she could find a better place to hide.

**o.O.o**

Gretchen had a lot of years under her belt. She had a baby of her own, of course, but she was all grown up with babies of her own, living halfway across the country. Instead she like to take over other people's babies.

Roger had been her first, he was a tiny thing, only three years old when she came in. A rough time for the family… She became his unofficial caretaker while his own mother had put herself back together.

Gretchen hadn't been there for the before, something she had thanked her lucky stars for, but she suspected that her employers were very different people than they had been.

And then little Joseph. The accidental one. She had always been softer on Joseph that she should have been. Roger never needed a strong hand, but his brother could have used four of five.

While the boys had grown up, she still cared for them, a second mother, or a devoted aunt. Soon they'd be having of their own, too, sooner than expected judging by the startled look in Anita's eyes when Joseph had been picking on her.

She hadn't wanted to pry, so Gretchen let Anita be, but she never reappeared. Not even when the car was brought to take her home. Concerned, Gretchen dropped what she was doing and started searching the house. No one had seen her since lunch, and it was too nasty to be outside, but there were still plenty of little nooks she could be hiding in.

Eventually she found her, naturally in the last place left to look, Roger's bedroom. Anita was curled up, fast asleep. It was a sight, the girl even looked pained in her slumber. Roger's massive bed had engulfed her, as if the very room was desperate to comfort her.

Gretchen hated to disturb her, to ruin what little peace she had found. With a heavy heart, the old maid stepped back out of the room, closing the door with a soft click. She could give her this, for now, and let reality haunt her another day.

She had to pull many favors, but Gretchen got everything settled. Tomorrow. They would deal with the fallout tomorrow.


	13. Concerns and Complaints

**A.N. Ahh… So tired. It's like 5 am. WHY AM I TYPING AT 5 AM? Yawn. And my laptop is do close to being dead.**

**Hm. Oh! Just so we're clear, I'm shooting for 19 chapters plus a tiny, tiny epilogue (that I wrote yesterday, whoot!) I'm so close to being done; I can smell the finish line. So to sum up this chapter: fluff, grouch, fluff, bad stuff. This one's a doozy. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Concerns and Complaints**

The following Saturday, Anita announced that she was going for a walk. It wasn't an unusual announcement, so her family just nodded and waved her out the door. If only they knew where she was walking to.

Anita had taken what money she had on her, a decent clump folded neatly in her pocket, and set off. The local clinic wasn't too far away, and the weather was nice, but that wasn't the problem.

She had thought about just going to the drug store and buying one of those little wands, just to make sure she was right, but she thought it would be a waste of money. She didn't just have a hunch anymore. This was very, very real.

Already her clothes were starting to get a little tight, the vomiting was getting worse, and she spent most of the day feeling miserable. Anita figured that there were only a few ways she could take this news, she could panic, and find a way to get out of it, she could tell everyone else and let them deal with it, or she could do this. She was going to hold onto her little secret for a while longer.

She had somehow managed to convince herself that this was a good thing. Stupid hormones must have been clogging her brain. Roger was off dealing with his own issues, and she would be foolish to think that he would agree with her on this crazy plan, but if she couldn't have him, then at least she would have the last gift he gave her. Their baby.

A silly little smile curled over her lips. I really had gone crazy, she thought, but she had the sweetest little image in her head. The little one get morphing and changing in her head, boy to girl, blond to brunette, it never stayed quite the same, but it had her heart all aflutter anyway.

Her insanity came to an end when she got to the clinic, as she forced herself to focus on the big picture. Doctors and tests and paperwork, all things she had to look forward to long before she got to see her beautiful baby.

The receptionist took her name, and had her go sit in the waiting room for a while. Anita checked TV first, but it was running on mute, pictures of food dancing on screen to unheard music. Her stomach twinged, so Anita turned her attention to the low coffee table in front of her.

The standard collection of old magazines were littered across the surface. Most were ragged and torn, and one copy of National Geographic had a nasty stain that looked like dried vomit. Anita decided to avoid that one and picked up a catalog. It was full of cute little babies and pretty furniture that she'd never be able to afford.

She scanned the pages, and quickly lost track of time. "Anita Greene," called a bored, irritated kind of voice.

Anita glanced up, looking at the sour nurse that was calling her name from the far doorway. Quickly, she dropped the catalog back onto the table and followed the lady into the back section of the clinic.

She led her to an open room, and left without a word. She hadn't even closed the door. Anita slid up onto the exam table, absently reading the charts and staring at the diagrams of organs and bones, while she waited for the doctor.

At last he came in, whistling a little tune. He gave her a wide smile, one that you just had to return.

"Morning, Sweetness."

"Morning."

"Hmm," Dr. Williams glanced over her. "You don't look sick, missy. What's brought you in here?"

"Babies." Well that summed it up, didn't it? "Uh, I mean, I think I might be having a _baby." _ Happy or not, one baby was more than enough.

Dr. Williams laughed. "I've known you since you were this tall," he said, holding his hand in the air. "Come on now, what's really got you going?"

Anita's face must have been clear, this wasn't a laughing matter. The doctor eyed her suspiciously. "Why is it that all of my ladies seem to get themselves into trouble? Why it wasn't so long ago I had your mother on this table, Nita."

Anita shuddered. "I know, I – This wasn't _supposed _to happen."

He sighed, "Well lay back then. What symptoms are you having?"

Anita rattled off the hardships this pregnancy had already put her through. "The morning sickness has gotten worse," she added at last, rechecking the list in her head.

"Mhm. That can happen. You're already starting to show a bit. It should ease up soon, darlin'." Dr. Williams continued to poke and prod. "How long has it been?"

"The fourteenth of August. That had to be the day."

Once he was done with his examination, Dr. Williams sat back down on his stool, filling out her chart. After that he reached in one of the drawers behind him and pulled out a clear plastic cup. "Fill 'er up. Put it in the door, I'll be back in a little bit." With that last bit of advice, he took off to look for his next patient.

**o.O.o**

Anita sat back down on the edge of the cool examination table. The paper sheet crinkled as she moved, the only noise in the small space. At least she didn't feel quite so bloated now that she had gotten to pee.

Her doctor finally came back in after twenty minutes, clutching desperately to his clipboard.

"How are you doing?"

Anita shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess."

"Good," he said. "Well, you were right, missy. You're about ten weeks along, which is a little later than most girls get in here."

"I know," she whispered, looking at her feet. "Can you tell me anything else?"

The doctor scanned his papers, "You should get an ultrasound. And here," he paused to rip out a page in his prescription book, "go get these. Prenatal vitamins."

Anita took the slip, "Thank you."

"Oh, and Nita," he added before walking back out of the room. "Good luck."

**o.O.o**

Halfway across town, two old associates sat down in a dark study. The mayor, John Hope, passed a tall glass of amber liquid across his desk. "What brings you here, Roger?"

The other man, after taking a long sip of his drink, leaned back and examined the wall. "I have concerns about my son."

"Joseph? He and Penny took off to see that premier… The one about the aliens."

"No, no," Roger sighed, twirling his finger absentmindedly around the rim of his glass. "Roger, of course. He's completely unpredictable."

"Has he called yet?"

"Finally. A few days ago. He didn't take long, just a few minutes. And the staff… They're still saying the same. He's never home."

"And you still think he's out with who exactly? Another girl?"

"Maybe. That little Greene girl, Bella says she's upset with him. Hopefully he's gone and found a more respectable girl."

"Better hope he didn't knock this one up, this time." The old anger still lingered in the mayor's tone, but Roger brushed it aside.

"I have more than enough money to take care of that, John."

"Obviously."

Roger snorted. "She's well taken care of, and honestly you have to be overjoyed to have her out of your hair."

The mayor didn't seem to agree, and he continued to scowl at his drink. "She won't even come in for the holidays! My wife, she's always had a soft spot a mile wide for Tiffany, you know, and _she's _an absolute terror when she gets on a role about this nonsense."

"Oh well, it's not like I'm forcing her to stay with the boy. She could come home."

A wild look came over the mayor. "And do what? If someone was to look into this, could you imagine what that might do to _our _names, Roger? I'm sure you could plead innocence, but me? No, I'd get stuck with it all. And abandoning our grandson…"

Roger made an awful face. "Don't call him that. He was an accident, a misstep. Nothing more."

"Roger's not going to be pleased, you know. When he finds out."

"My son won't be finding out, John. And if he were to somehow uncover it, it would be on your head." The threat lingered between them for the moment; it carried very real weight behind it.

The mayor cleared his throat. "Well, if you don't want him stumbling across it, I suggest you see about moving him out of Las Vegas. They're too close together."

"Then you move your daughter, if the idea worries you so much."

He nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Maybe I will."

**o.O.o**

Anita simply didn't have the resources to get into the hospital, even for a simple ultrasound, but she didn't have much choice. Asking for this kind of help was the very last thing she wanted to do. This was her bed, and she had every intention of lying in it, but Bella had been there, asking questions, and now here they were.

"I won't go in with you, Anita. I think that might be a little uncomfortable for both of us. But don't you worry about this, although the circumstances are beyond unfortunate, I will do everything in my power to make sure that this baby gets here safe and sound."

Anita tried to smile, but she felt awful. "Thank you, Mrs. Darling. I appreciate your concern."

"Can't have my granddaughter suffer, can I?" Bella asked, patting her shoulder.

Anita cringed at the word 'granddaughter'. Bella and Gretchen seemed to agree, the baby just had to be a girl, and although she really didn't mind one way or another, Anita found that the more they tried to convince her, the surer she was that it was a boy.

She couldn't have been more grateful when the nurses called her back, and she finally got to leave the waiting room.

The young nurse, who couldn't have been all that older than she was, led her through a door, and pulled back the curtains to show her bed. At least three similar beds were set up in that room, divided only by the thin curtains.

Luckily, Anita didn't have to wait more than a few seconds for the ultrasound technician to come to her side, another smiling woman.

He lady introduced herself while sorting through her equipment. "All right, are you ready?" Anita nodded slowly and adjusted her clothes like she had been told. "This is going to be cold. Your baby should pop up right here somewhere," she pointed to the center of the screen with one hand while squirting the bluish jelly.

It definitely was cold, and felt like she was going to be sticky for the next few hours until she could get into the shower, but it was easy not to focus on that when the tiny little blob appeared on the screen. The more she stared at the static-y image, the clearer it got. Anita could make out the face of her tiny baby, the little nose and the slight dips wear his lips and eyes were. He certainly looked like a baby, not some alien creature that most people talked about.

The doctor pointed out details as she looked. Feet, legs, own little hand sticking up, almost in a wave, as if he knew he was being watched. And all of that to the beat of his fast little heart.

"Everything looks fine to me. Come May you should have a nice, healthy baby as long as everything else goes smoothly."

Anita smiled, wiping the little tears that had pooled in her eyes. She had never been such an emotional wreck. Excited, scared, happy, sad, they all seemed to be mixed up.

"See you in a month, then."

"Yes, of course. See you then."

**o.O.o**

Roger finished with his classes a little late. The crazy man he had for a professor had droned on and on about the finer points of triangles. He glanced at the clock as he through his books into the passenger seat of his car, 7:45. He groaned, he was going to be late getting to Tiffany's this evening. He'd promised Jack he would be there to tuck him in that night.

He pulled into the parking complex just after eight, and made his way up to the twentieth floor as quickly as possible.

"Lunch?" Jack asked the moment Roger walked through the door.

Roger had learned quickly that Jack referred to every meal as 'lunch' regardless of the time of day. Either way, it was far too late for any meal.

"Jack, its bedtime."

"Jack hungry," he explained, patting his belly.

"What did you have for supper?" Roger asked.

"Hotdog!"

"Hotdog?" That didn't seem right. They had had hotdogs for lunch. "You ate _more _hotdogs?"

"No. Jack hungry." For added effect, his stomach rumbled in agreement.

"Tiffany?" Roger called. "Where's Mommy, Jack?"

The little boy stopped to think about it. "Bathroom!" He was just full of one liners today.

"Tiffany?" he called again once they had approached the door. He knocked, standing back and waiting for an answer.

Tiffany opened the door then, wearing a fluffy white robe, her hair wrapped in a towel, ad steam billowing out behind her.

"Hey! Aren't you a little early?" she asked, surprised by his appearance.

"No..? It's after eight. I'm _late."_

"Oh, I must have lost track of time…" That didn't seem to bother her though, she just smiled. "Did you need something?"

"When did Jack eat last?"

She shrugged. "I haven't fed him yet."

Roger clamped his jaw shut until he thought he could offer her a calm answer. "It's time for him to go to _bed, _and you didn't even think to feed him yet? He's hungry, and out here by himself. Where is Mildred?"

Tiffany didn't even have the nerve to look ashamed. "I told her to go somewhere else; because I knew you were coming back tonight. I – I thought we could have a little family time." She said it like she wanted something that wasn't very family friendly.

"We've been over this, Tiffany. I'm not here for you, especially when you can't even spare an hour to make sure our son gets fed."

She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip like a spoiled toddler. "He's _fine."_

"No, he's not fine," he nearly growled, but he forced himself to turn back to Jack. "Come on, buddy. Let's go get you something to eat."

"Lunch!" he cheered and led the way back down the hall.

It was going to be a long night.


	14. Coming Home

**A.N. Well, I apparently just can't stop writing. I have some amazing inspiration going on right now. :) If I only had this much force with the rest of my stories... Anyway, this chapter is just kind of an appetizer. The big stuff comes next chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Coming Home**

His time was up, out of nowhere it seemed. The season hadn't seemed to change, but Las Vegas wasn't known for its diverse weather.

Before heading home, Roger stopped by Tiffany's yet again. As always, Jack met him by the door, clutching his old toy and grinning toothily.

"Daddy!" he cheered, holding out his arms.

Roger caught him, swinging him up. He'd never get past just how natural it all felt. Like he'd been doing this his whole life. Mildred disappeared after a few minutes, probably to hide in her own room. She still hadn't warmed up to him yet.

"Park?" Jack asked then.

"Park?" he repeated, and then checked his watch. "'Fraid not, Jack. Daddy doesn't have time to take you to the park today."

Jack pouted, tucking his face into the crook of his neck.

"Where's Mommy?" Roger asked, glancing around the room and down the hall. Tiffany was usually about somewhere. He felt the boy shrug against him, but just then the woman in question came through the front door.

"Roger?" she asked. "I thought you were going home today?"

"I am," he assured her. "I know you said you weren't going, but I thought I'd ask again. Are you sure you don't want to come? My mother would love to meet him."

"Roger… I can't. I promised I wouldn't."

"They're going to find out this week anyway, Tiffany. I plan to confront them."

"But…"

"Then let me take Jack. Just for the week. Please?"

He hated that he felt like he had to beg her, and it disgusted him to see the light return to her eyes.

"Really?"

"Where Daddy?" Jack asked. He'd nearly forgotten he was holding him.

"Do you want to go see grandma and grandpa? And Uncle Joe and Aunt Penny?"

Jack nodded along, clearly excited. "Jack go!"

Roger smiled, snuggling the boy a little tighter, and looked to Tiffany.

"I guess," she replied, grinning. "Are you taking Mildred?"

"No," Roger answered over his should, already heading to Jack's room. "Let her take off for the holiday." Then he turned his attention back to Jack. "Wait until Grandma sees you, Jack. She's going to buy you so many presents!"

"Presents!" he repeated eagerly. He was so excited that he didn't even mind packing instead of their usual playtime.

Within the hour they had made it out of the house and onto the plane. Roger made sure to tip the pilot to keep quiet about the extra cargo. He didn't want to spoil his secret too soon.

Jack took the plane rise easier than expected, although Roger didn't want to risk it by showing him the windows. Instead Jack watched his favorite movie until he fell asleep.

He didn't rouse unto the plane landed, but he was still groggy. Roger tipped the driver too, just to be safe, although he was glad he'd taken the time to befriend their personal staff.

Jack was amazed as they drove up to the house, but his mood quickly soured. "Its okay, buddy. Daddy will be right back, okay? Jim is going to stay with you. Its okay."

Despite the reassurance, Jack burst into angry tears, bunching up his face as he screamed. Roger apologized to the driver, but he just waved him off.

Roger darted up the steps and pulled open the front door.

"Roger!" came his mother's voice from behind him as he ran through the house.

"There you are!" He could hear Gretchen chuckling, but didn't have time to find her too. "Is Father home?"

"No..?" Bella answered, obviously perplexed. "What's gotten you all flustered?"

"I have a surprise," he said quickly. "Why do you have baby clothes?"

Bella tucked the little pink thing back into the box she had been digging through. "Oh, nothing, just a few things for Ani, um, _Annette." _Roger shrugged. "You said something about a surprise?

"Yes. Stay right here, 'kay?"

He left Bella waiting by the door, and jogged back out to the car. Jack wasn't screaming anymore, Jim seemed to have found him some candy.

"Jack come now?" Jack asked, pulling his sucker out of his mouth. Green goo was already coating on hand and his lips.

"All right, come on. Where's Puppy?" Roger rattled on, hoisting the boy into the air. "Ah ha, here he is."

Jack snatched the toy straight out of his hand, and the two of them headed out. The boy continued to point out things and ask questions, he especially liked the animals carved in some of the bushes.

"'Raff!" he squealed in excitement when he spotted the giraffe. "Daddy, raff!"

Roger chuckled at him, pulling open the door, "Later, Jack. Let's go see Grandma."

**o.O.o**

Bella expected several things that Roger might bring home, presents, a new girl, a puppy, any number of things. She certainly hadn't thought to add a small child to that list of plausible surprises.

"W-Who?" she asked. She couldn't make out any other words, not that she really needed to.

Roger sat the little boy on the floor. He hovered at Roger's side, but didn't shy away. "Grandma?" he asked with that perfect little toddler lisp.

For a few breaths she kept waiting on the floor to rush up to meet her while she fainted. Bella's eyes darted back and forth between the little boy and her son. Her _foolish, irresponsible _son. "Roger!"

"It's a shock, I know," he offered, but he was too busy grinning to acknowledge the anger in her tone. "This is Jack."

"Presents? Daddy! Jack's presents?" the boy continued. Obviously unhappy that he was being ignored.

Roger cocked his head. "Oh, oops. Not right now, Jack. How about we go get some food instead?"

"Lunch!" he exclaimed, holding out his hand for Roger.

Roger lifted him up, stepping to her side. "You'll get used to it," he said with a smile, and kissed her cheek. "Its good to be home."

**o.O.o**

"Coming!" Anita called over her shoulder when someone knocked on the door. She propped the broom up in the closest corner, and hurried to the door. "Hel - Roger!?" she squeaked.

"Hey. Where've you been? I thought - I thought you would come see me?" He was smiling at her, just like always. She wondered if she was having a strange dream.

"Why would I come see you?" she asked, fidgeting with her clothes. They weren't nearly baggy enough for this encounter.

Roger seemed to have noticed her agitation, _darn it_, and was now examining her. "So we could talk? I - I have a surprise… I _am _sorry about the phone call. I was stressed, and well, that's no excuse. I've been pretty miserable…"

He was rambling now, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt him, not when she was using the time to think. _A surprise? _Her curiosity prompted her on, but she stamped it down.

"I still don't understand. Is this Bella's doing? This shouldn't be about the baby."

"The baby?" he asked, surprised. "How do you know about Jack?"

"Who is Jack?" she returned, equally perplexed.

"My son? What baby are you talking about then?"

"Wait, you just found out you had a baby with someone else?" This was getting them no where.

"Someone else?" he repeated, and after a moment, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Oh god, _no. _No, no, no, no, _no." _He was dangerously close to hyperventilating.

"Roger. Roger, _breathe." _

"Not like _that. _Please, please tell me you don't mean…" his voice trailed off anxiously.

"Mean that we're having a baby?" she asked. On a whim she snagged one of his trembling hands and pressed it against her very noticeable bulge. It didn't really work like she had hoped it would. Roger was suddenly a very sickly shade of green.

**o.O.o**

This was really too much to handle. One secret baby was hard enough, now he would have two. How could he have been so stupid? Once was bad, twice… twice was simply unacceptable.

He was panicked, but when he looked to Anita he only saw her fading smile. Even with the concern in her eyes, she looked happy, with that bright, sunshine glow. Roger had expected to see anger, hatred, anything but the look she was giving him.

"Rog, are you okay?" she asked, a little muscle bunched in her forehead. "Maybe you should sit down?"

He couldn't help it, Roger laughed.

"Roger, this isn't funny," but even as she said it, she was starting to crack up.

"Of course it is. This is an outrageous mess. Why don't you hate me?"

Anita sighed. "Do you want me to hate you? I'd rather not. It can't be very good for the baby." A sweet little smile coated her lips as she caressed the bump. "Were you going to introduce me to Jack? What about his mother?"

His own anger flared back in an instant. "Tiffany isn't important."

She gave him a cross look, "Well of course she is! She's his _mother._"

"Are you sure you want to?" he asked, desperate to change the subject. "I told you, this isn't your fight."

"We're in this together. You aren't getting away that easily."

"Even," he paused, considering his phrasing. "Even if I decide to challenge Tiffany for custody?"

Anita studied his face for several long seconds. "You're sure that's a good idea?" He nodded, he was absolutely sure on that. "Then yes. I'm in."

"I'd like that."

She smiled, rising up on her toes and kissed him. The little bulge pressed against his own stomach. A little odd, yes, but he was slowly getting used to this idea.

"Well, this certainly explains my mother's reaction to Jack yesterday," he said when the broke apart.

Anita laughed. "Come on, let's get out of here."

**o.O.o**

Roger wasn't surprised that Jack took to Anita immediately. He couldn't say 'Anita' so she'd quickly became 'Nina'. He was so comfortable with her, that he hadn't put up any fuss at all when Roger had stepped out of the room to speak to Bella, and now that he had returned, Jack hadn't even glanced at him.

The two of them sat in the floor of his mother's sitting room, chatting away. Their voices were a little to low for him to hear by the doorway, but Anita kept pointing at her belly as she talked. He could imagine what she was telling him.

Roger couldn't resist the temptation any more, and made his way to the couch beside Anita. She smiled at him, but never even paused in her speech.

"Baby. Jack feel?"

"Sure," she encouraged, getting up slowly and resting on her knees. Jack crawled over to her, splaying his tiny fingers wide as she pressed his hand against the spot. "The baby will start kicking soon. Then Jack can feel that, too."

Jack beamed at her. Roger had never seen him so contented. "Jack like baby."

"The baby likes you too, Jack."

"Daddy, feel baby," he ordered next, pointing at Anita.

She giggled, reaching around and grabbing him by the arm and urging him forward. Soon all of them were in the floor, laughing merrily, perfectly unaware of their little spy detail.

**o.O.o**

Bella had caught the door before it could latch when Roger had stepped back in, just so she could peek in on them. They made a sweet little family, and had she not known any better, that's all she would have seen. A young, happy family.

Jack's giggles had a way of lightening an old heart, and she couldn't help but be won over by him, especially since she'd already been secretly excited for Anita's baby.

"Miss Bella?"

"Hmm?" she asked, turning to look over her shoulder. "What is it, Gretchen?"

The old maid shook her head at her. "Are you spying on them?"

Bella smirked and placed a quieting finger over her lips before waving her over. "Would you just look at them?"

The two women stared at them for a long while, basking in the glow of their happiness. If anyone could survive any hardship, Bella would put her money on those two.


	15. Runaways

**A.N. Oh my goodness. This is some crazy stuff. It doesn't end where I wanted it to, but it would have been like 4500 words instead of 2700. So the story is actually going to be 21 chapters I guess. Lol.**

**Enjoy the uproar. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Runaways**

Happy times were not to last. Everyone was so lost in the moment that they hadn't paused to think about Roger Sr. coming home, Joseph on his heels.

They walked right into the little family gathering. "What in the hell is going on?" Roger shout asked angrily, his voice rising with every word. Everything was escalating very quickly. Both his wife, and his eldest son jumped to their feet.

"Roger, dear, perhaps you should take a seat. This is big news…"

"Don't worry," the younger cut in. "He already knows all about Jack, don't you Father?"

Bella, confused, started to ask a question, but she never got the words out. The older man had gone red in the face. "How dare you bring him here? I've put _hundreds _of _thousands _of dollars into hiding that brat!"

"Why? What was the point?" Roger screamed back, clenching his fists at his side.

His father wasted no time responding, "To protect our families! John's going to run for governor next year. And we can't have this mess _you _caused ruining his chance at the Senate!"

"Money and power. Is that really all you think about?"

"Look how far _my _money and power had gotten _you. _Ungrateful! I knew I should have kept you home. Forced you to stay."

"Your influence has caused me nothing but pain! I did this. I found my own happiness."

"Happiness is for fools," he spat back.

Roger Jr. narrowed his eyes, "You used to be happy, Father. I remember. You used to be happy until Emma -"

"Do not. Don't you dare bring her into this."

"Emma _died. _She died and took every decent fiber left in your body with her." Roger could hear his mother crying now, somewhere behind him. He had played the worst card he could. Even his father was speechless. "You are a cold, heartless bastard."

"Go. Get out of my house." When Roger didn't budge, he shouted, "NOW!"

He didn't waste any time after that. He spun around sharply, only to find that Anita was already on her feet, Jack secured in her arms. For a brief second he thought about apologizing to his mother, but she was still very upset. Joseph had went to her side, awkwardly patting her back as she cried.

Undeterred, Roger marched into the hall, Anita and Jack right behind him. "Here, take Jack and the car to your house," he told her, handing over his keys. "I'll be there soon."

Anita didn't question him. "Its going to be okay. Somehow. It always is." He couldn't answer her, he just couldn't see that yet.

Roger made his way upstairs as Anita slipped out the door. He made sure to grab his bags and packed a few extra things from his room as well. Family photos and a nick-knack or two.

After everything was loaded into the truck, he climbed inside and sped off. Leaving home had never left such a bad taste in his mouth before.

**o.O.o**

Anita drove carefully. She had really only driven a few times since she'd gotten her license, and nothing nearly as fancy as Roger's sleek ride. She glanced in the rear view mirror every few minutes just to check on Jack, but he seemed fine now. He had been a little frightened by the "Mean Man" and all the shouting at first though.

"Nina, where go?" he asked a few minutes in.

"We are going to my house. Don't you want to see where Nina lives?" She talked easy with him, it really hadn't been all that long ago when Jimmy had been his size, and she could use all the practice she could get.

The fight had her worried, though. How would it effect everything now? Just when they were starting to get everything settled, it all had to go insane. Surely Roger would still want his mother involved, and possibly Joseph too. She could live with that. Really though, Anita was just satisfied that she hadn't been dragged into the argument just yet.

**o.O.o**

By the time Roger pulled into Anita's, he felt a little better. He brushed aside the turmoil and plastered on a smile. For right now, worries and problems had no place.

He knocked once, and stepped into the house, looking around, but the place seemed empty. He searched the normal places before heading into the kitchen and glancing out the back door.

Anita was sitting on the steps, watching Jack as he tried to convince Bandit to play. The old dog just rolled over, exposing his rather large gut.

"Hey," he said in a way of greeting when he popped the door open. Anita still jumped.

"Oh," she said, turning back around. "You okay?"

Roger nodded, moving to sit at her side. "Has he been good?"

She smiled affectionately at the little boy. "He's very sweet, Roger. I think you're going to have to get him a puppy sometime."

"I know," he chuckled. "He loves dogs. And giraffes," he added, remembering the incident with the bushes.

Anita gave him a questioning look, but didn't say a word.

**o.O.o**

The closer it got to night, the more Roger began to fret. He eventually decided to get a hotel room for the rest of the week. It was nice, but not so unreasonably so that it would attract attention. The sun was already setting, and Jack was exhausted, half asleep. Anita followed them up to Roger's room, and hovered in the corner until he had Jack tucked in.

"I can't do this," he sighed, slumping to the little couch. "If I don't do something now, he's just going to find a way to mess everything up. I need a better place for Jack, too, if I'm going to take him."

"What's wrong with your apartment?" she asked quietly.

Roger laughed suddenly, with no trace of amusement. ""No, Father will have me out of there immediately. I'll be stuck in the dorms until I can find my own place. That won't look good on me." He huffed, "I don't even want to go to school anymore."

"Dropping out won't make you look very good either."

"No, no you're right." He paused for a moment, looking conflicted. "You know, this is the worst possible time to mention it, but I was going to give you this before I left." Roger reached into his pocket and extracted a tiny black box. He opened it, the perfectly cut diamond caught the dim light from the bathroom and glittered.

"Oh my," she breathed. It really was the perfect ring, not too big or too small, and the setting was a shiny white gold. "This is what that last night was about?" Candlelight, walks on the beach… it all made sense to her now.

"Yes," he answered sheepishly, seemingly unable to look her in the eye.

"You don't honestly expect me to accept when you aren't even looking at me, do you?" She smiled when he glanced up, holding out her left hand.

Roger grinned back, a slow, creeping smile that swept the tension out of the air for the moment. He took her offered hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

Anita brought it closer to her face for a thorough examination, giggling when the ring slipped sideways, rolling underneath her hand.

"It might need refitted," he added once she had calmed down. "You like it though?"

"Of course! It's gorgeous."

In the next second they were kissing. Anita thought her brain must have skipped.

"Let's run away," Roger whispered against her skin as he peppered her in kisses.

"Run away? Why must we run away?" she asked, pushing against him, searching his eyes.

"Father won't allow this… And I - I don't think… It was just a crazy idea, never mind," he waved it off quickly, trying to kiss her again.

"But what about Jack?"

"Jack?" he asked, confused, glancing over at the bed. "Jack will be fine. We'll figure it out. We can come back for Jack once we get settled."

"Roger! I can't believe this. You're okay with just walking away from your little boy? He needs you."

"We can't take him with us, Anita. He'll be okay for a while longer. We won't be able to stay together here. What about our baby? She'll need me too."

"She?" she asked, furrowing her brow and studying her bump. "I was hoping for a boy, actually."

He smiled at her, and pulled her close again. She didn't fight him that time. "It's just a feeling. Maybe I'm wrong." Roger pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

Anita sighed softly before gently pushing him away once more. "Stop trying to distract me! You said so yourself, just a few _hours_ ago, that you didn't think _she _was such a good mother. That you were _worried._"

His conscience was getting the better of him. She could see the manic gleam leaving his eyes. "Yes… Yes, you're right, Nita. Of course you are…" Roger ran a hand through his hair, "What are we supposed to do?"

The silence seemed to echo in the darkness as it stretched, neither sure what step to take. At last she broke into his thinking, "Roger… I have to be home. It's nearly three, Daddy will be up before long."

He nodded, snatching his keys off the table. "Here, take the car." She took them, playing with the keys awkwardly. "Goodnight, Nita. Don't worry, I'll figure something out, okay?"

"Okay, Roger," she whispered as she stood up.

"I love you," he called as loudly as he dared.

She grinned and waved and blew him a kiss for good measure, but the instant she was outside of his room she crumpled. What on earth were they ever supposed to do?

**o.O.o**

They didn't talk about anything serious the rest of the week. Roger was upset about missing the holiday with his family, so Anita dragged him over to her house of Thanksgiving. Her parents didn't say anything on the matter, but then her mother hadn't spoken to her in the last few weeks anyway. The rest of them were distracted by Jack's chubby little face and slurred words to car much.

It wasn't until Saturday morning that Roger said anything at all. "Have you told your parents about the baby?"

Anita glanced up from her hands. "What? No… Not yet. Did Daddy look like he wanted to kill you?"

Roger furrowed his brow. "You should do it. Today. I want you to come with me tonight."

"Come with you where? You're leaving tonight, right? To take Jack back to Tiffany?"

He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I called. The locks have been changed on my apartment. I'm no longer welcome, and I don't want to go back to school. There are bigger things than getting a degree. Maybe I'll go back later… I don't know yet."

"Where would we go?" she asked. Anita was terrified of just how tempting it sounded to pack her bags and hit the road. She had responsibilities, a job, her family, her own schooling.

"North, where I bought all of that land. We can build a nice big house out in the middle of nowhere. Start our farm. We can get Jack a _thousand_ dogs if we want." He seemed so excited, like this was the perfect solution. "And once we get married," he added with a happy smile, "we can go back to Las Vegas and get Jack. I'll get a suit filed immediately."

So tempting. "What about my family? Or school?"

Roger sighed, as if he had known this was going to be the hard part. "How were you going to go to school once the baby came?"

"I -" That was actually a good question; she hadn't thought about that yet. "I don't know."

"You won't be able to work at - at the house anymore, and I doubt your mother would watch her. She doesn't usually watch her own kids. No offense."

Anita waved it off, there was no denying that her mother had some serious flaws. "Daddy won't be very happy. And there isn't really room for a baby at our house."

"We'll come back to visit whenever you want, Nita. I promise." His eyes pleaded with her.

"It has to be tonight?" she asked. Such a short time to get everything in order, to say her goodbyes. He nodded. "O-okay," she whispered weakly. "Okay, I'm in."

**o.O.o**

Her evening went exactly the way she expected it to. Tears and shouting, mostly.

"I knew it!" her mother said, when she mentioned the baby, but Anita ignored her.

"Daddy, please. This isn't anyone's fault, and he wants to make it right." she pulled the long chain out from under her shirt. "See? Isn't it a pretty ring? It doesn't fit all the way, yet."

"Nita," he choked. "You're so smart, Nita. You're supposed to become a doctor…" He sighed sadly. "How could you let this happen?"

Anita had never felt more ashamed of herself. Tears were stinging her eyes as they threatened to escape. "I just… It just happened. I'm happy, though. Isn't that what's important?"

"She went and spread her legs!" her mother screeched. "That's how this happened, James. Stop this."

"May!" he growled back at her. "You of all people should understand this."

Her more sniffed. "Times have changed."

Anita stood quietly while her parents had their private battle. She hadn't thought about how similar her fate was to her own mother's, a pregnant teenager off to be married, but her mother had grown bitter and angry because that decision had been forced upon her.

"I want to get married, and I want to have this baby," she said then, cutting off whatever hushed conversation she had just interrupted. "It's going to happen. And - Well, I'm leaving tonight. I'm sorry."

Anita didn't wait for a reply, she simply hurried out of the room. She was crying by the time she got to the staircase. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to face her father again after that catastrophe.

Stephanie and Jimmy were waiting on her when she got to her room, sitting quietly on her bed. "What's going on, Nita?"

Anita took a deep breath. "I'm leaving, guys. I'm so sorry." So much apologizing was starting to leave her with a sick feeling.

Her siblings looked confused. "With Roger?" Steph asked.

"Yes," she sighed. "We're getting married," for good measure she pulled up her shirt part way, "and having a baby."

Stephanie squealed in delight. "That's amazing!" She poked her extended stomach experimentally. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know yet. Everyone seems to think it's a girl."

"Awesome. Girls are the best." She paused for a second, still staring. "So who _was _that little boy you brought over?"

Anita rushed through an explanation for just about ever other question Stephanie could come up with, and made sure to promise Jimmy she'd be back before too long, all the while trying to pack some clothes.

Stephanie might be a little air headed, but having someone on her side felt good, and made everything easier. She said her tearful goodbyes, even stepping into the backyard to pet Bandit one last time.

Once she was done, she pulled out the keys to Roger's car, still sitting in her driveway. It was the only way they were ever going to get both vehicles to Nevada. She took a ragged breath, checked the time once more, and stepped out into the dark.

Life hit her like a ton of bricks, standing there on her doorstep for the last time in who knew how long. She trailed her fingers along the peeling paint, steeling herself, and then, full of determination, stepped out of her old life into her new one.


	16. From the Beginning

**A.N. Yep, so Roger and Joseph **_**did **_**have an older sister, Emma. Her fate isn't as important right now as it will be far into the future. Both Roger and Anita's parents have their own stories that are a little tragic, although Bella and James are the only ones I've ever felt sympathy for.**

**Last chapter made me a little anxious, so in the follow-up I'm taking it nice and slow. Dragging out a few details. It's quite sad how near the end is.**

**Oh, and another warning for the suggestion of mature content. XD**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**From the Beginning**

Anita pulled up in front of the hotel right on time, a quarter after seven. She still looked upset, like she'd spent the last few hours doing little more than crying.

"You're sure about this?" he asked her, standing in the darkening parking lot.

She gave a mighty sniff. "Yes. Yes, I'm sure," she answered defiantly, but it still sounded like she was trying to talk herself into the plan.

Roger gave her a worried look. "All right then. And you're okay driving the car?"

Anita rolled her eyes. _"Yes. _Stop trying to talk me out of _your _plan!"

With a weak smile he pulled her closer. "See you in Vegas then."

**o.O.o**

The traffic out of the city was still a little chaotic despite the hour, and Anita spent four lonesome hours watching the tail lights on the truck as they sped down the freeway. The radio helped a little, she had it turned up so loud she couldn't think straight. She especially liked the function that made it crank up when she hit the gas.

Eventually the music drifted off into a long string of commercials and she found herself playing the game she had played as a child, pretending she was racing with all the cars around her. Unfortunately, the longer they drove, the fewer cars there were to race with.

She was so distracted by her own boredom, that it caught her by surprise when the bright lights of Las Vegas began to shine in the distance. Anita had never so much had been out of the state of California, and a tiny flutter of excitement took root in her stomach.

Once they were inside of the city, following Roger became a much more difficult task. At least his giant truck, still covered in mud from the last time he took it out, was easy to spot in a city filled with cabs and fancy cars.

At long last they were slowing down, the lights had faded as they gave way to the residential area they had entered. The streets were littered with giant apartment complexes that rose several stories into the air.

Roger's blinker flickered on, and he made a sharp turn into a parking garage. Anita followed, parking the car in the spot next to the truck.

She popped her door open before he had the chance, stretching out all of her sore muscles, and they hadn't even made the biggest trip yet. "Where's Jack?" she asked, leaning against the side of the car.

"Asleep," he said with a smile. "I didn't want to wake him up yet." Anita yawned. "I thought that after we dropped him off, we could go get something to eat, and get a room here. Do the rest tomorrow?"

"That sounds good," she agreed. A strange thought struck her. Here they were, running off together, getting engaged, and having a baby, and they hadn't so much as ever slept in the same bed together. Until tonight. Anita fought the urge to squeak and run like a terrified mouse.

Roger didn't seem to notice, however, and went to pop the passenger doors open so he could get to Jack in the back. He was still very asleep, his blond head hanging limply, and his puppy clutched tightly in his hands.

Anita stood back, wanting to help, but not really having anything to do, as Roger slung the bag over his shoulder, and unbuckled the straps that were holding him in. He maneuvered Jack effortlessly, cuddling the boy to his shoulder. Roger even managed to close both of the doors and lock up without a problem.

She twisted her hands together, still anxious about the rest of the night, and followed behind Roger as they made their way to Tiffany's. A large, elderly woman met them at the door when they got there. Anita surely hope that she wasn't Tiffany, but Roger hadn't talked much about that whole situation.

Jack blinked, and rubbed at his eyes when they stopped. "Nana!" Jack said excitedly, followed by a sleepy yawn.

'Nana' didn't say anything, just took the boy out of Roger's hands and gave him a hug.

"Mildred," Roger said to the woman with a nod. "By Jack. Daddy will come see you soon, okay?"

"Bye-bye," he answered. "Bye-bye, Nina."

Anita smiled at him and pinched one of his chubby legs. "Bye, Jack. Be good."

"Jack good," he agreed and then turned to Mildred once more. "Lunch?"

They all chuckled at him one last time before Roger could drag himself away. Anita took his hand and leaned against him. "He'll be okay," she chanted. "A few weeks, and he'll be at home with _us." _She spewed all of the helpful nonsense she could come up with as they retraced their steps back to the vehicles.

She didn't know if she was actually helping, but Roger seemed to loosen up. They seemed to reach the cars much faster than they left them, but when Anita tried to unfasten their hands, Roger tugged her the other direction, pressing her against the truck. He gave her a deep, long kiss that left one feeling empty and needy while gasping for breath.

"What was that for?" she gasped as quickly as she could, eyeing him suspiciously.

Roger grinned, placing another, albeit softer, kiss on her lips. "I love you. So much."

Anita suddenly felt extremely tingly.

Food no longer sounded like an important detour, so they piled into their respective vehicles instead, and found the nearest place with an open room. The air seemed to spark every time they so much as looked at each other, which didn't help her nerves any. There was no stopping what was about to happen.

The lady behind the desk handed Roger a room key, and off they went. They didn't stop to unpack or get more comfortable or even go to the bathroom. One moment they were simply fighting off the energy half-heartedly, and in the next they were plastered to each other, half-naked.

"Are you sure about this?" Roger asked, his fourth question in as many seconds.

"Stop. Talking," she huffed. Her raw nerves were feeling too much for her to simply stop now. "Please?" she breathed when he didn't make a move.

That seemed to trigger him, and suddenly Roger was back in his right mind. He tugged the blanket right over their heads, blocking out the light, and making everything just right.

**o.O.o**

Morning came shortly after they had finally managed to get some sleep. Anita was the first up, she had an intense need to relieve her bladder, but found she was trapped. Roger was a complete bed hog. He'd told her that before, but she hadn't thought that he might actually take up so much space that he would be laying on top of her.

She attempted to wriggle out from under him, but he simply pulled her closer and snuggled into her hair. She wanted to smile, she probably would have, if she didn't have to pee so badly.

"Roger," she said quietly, shaking him. "Roger!"

"Huh?" he asked, blinking open one eye. He yawned. "What time is it?"

"I don't know, but get off of me!" she shoved him again. Thankfully he got the message and rolled to the other side of the bed, glaring at the clock.

"It's only five," he groaned, laying back and covering his eyes with his arm. "Where are you going?" Anita was already up and running to the bathroom, shivering from the cold and trying to cover up her bare skin. The door shut with a sharp click, and he chuckled softly.

Anita returned twenty minutes later, wrapped in a pair of towels. She bent over her bag, digging out some clean clothes, and yelped when he slipped off the bed and snagged her from behind.

"What on earth are you doing?" she giggled. Her cheeks were stained red, and he was very aware of her state of undress.

"Pay back," he muttered, "for waking me up too early." Then he scooped her up in his arms and set her back on the bed.

She stuck up her little nose, "It's not my fault. You should blame the baby."

"Hmm," he hummed, getting to his knees at the foot of the bed. "So its her fault, is it?" He poked her stomach gently. "She still doesn't have a name, does she."

Anita cupped her hand over his, "Nope. And _she _could still be a boy, you know."

He nodded like he was humoring her. "Rachel," he offered, with an amused smile. "What do you think of Rachel?"

"Rachel?" she tried. "Rachel… Rachel May Darling. I like that."

His smile turned smug. "And if you get your way?" he asked, still focusing on the bump.

"William. William something."

Roger wrinkled his nose dramatically. "William isn't a very good name for a pretty little girl like this one. She's going to be amazing." They sat there dumbly, grinning at each other. "Where was I? I think I got a little distracted."

"No idea," she whispered, the blush returning to her cheeks.

"Oh, yes, I know. I was about to devour you." He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world, but it had bolts of lightning racing down her spine.

She could only manage a shiver in response.

**o.O.o**

It was late afternoon before they made it out of Las Vegas. They might have stayed there all day if the cleaning crew hadn't kicked them out at eleven. It was hard to separate when they did have to go, especially with the thought of a seven hour drive in front of them.

Roger offered to have the car transported, but she thought that was silly and a waste of money just so that they could be in the same car. They filled up both of the vehicles and shared a long, depressing moment that felt like they were moving to opposite sides of the country instead of going in the same direction.

The ride dragged at first, but as the anticipation grew, it seemed to speed up just a little. The flat, blank terrain didn't help matters any however. They stopped twice along the way, once for the bathroom, and once to eat dinner.

It was tempting to pull over and stay out another night, especially after they were full and exhausted from driving so long, but they only had two hours left. So close they could taste it.

City was nothing like she had imagined when they finally pulled in just a little before eleven. The spot on the map didn't really classify as a city to her, she'd grown up in a real city, but it wasn't a bad sort of place.

They got a room in one of the few hotels in the region, and crawled into bed, too tired to do much more than cuddle and whisper in the dark. Not that it mattered to either of them.

**o.O.o**

The next day was the big one, they were going hunting for their own place to live. They jumped right in, touring the city looking at places from apartments to real houses. They didn't find anything that stood out immediately, but Anita knew she didn't have to be in love with a place to make it their temporary home. They were going to build their dream house after all.

They grew tired of circling the city after just an hour or two, and so Roger suggested that they go see the mountain. It wasn't really a mountain, she pointed out, when he showed her where it was. "It's a hanging valley," she told him, but Roger didn't want any of that. It was the mountain, they're mountain.

He tried to explain what she was to expect as they climbed into the truck and started down the highway, but she was more interested in the scenery than the details. Once they set foot outside of the city limits it was at once clear that their little paradise was truly in the middle of nowhere. The open country side rolled around them as they sped down the interstate and then the highway, trees and meadows, and only a scattering of civilization. There was no sign of the sprawl as they were accustomed too. No suburban housing or even clustered subdivisions. Nothing but the wild.

Twenty minutes later as a bridge crossed over a canyon of sorts Anita got her first glimpse of the wild horses, fifteen mustangs around a tiny creek. "Are those…?"

"Yep," Roger answered, glancing out the passenger side window. "Those are ours. Beautiful aren't they?"

"Mhm," she replied, spreading her fingers against the window as she turned to watch them before the landscape stole them away.

"We're almost home, it's just up this hill," he said, pointing towards the rugged hillside that climbed high into the air. Already she could see the massive waterfall streaming down, wetting the rocks. A magical place that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

The double lane road curved away from that place however, leaving only a rough looking one lane road lined with gravel, but Roger's truck handled the climb easily. Anita kept her eyes wide taking in the sight for the first time. The lake shimmering in the sunlight, the fluffy little sheep on either side of the road, the feel of the terrain as asphalt turned to gravel and gravel turned to dirt. It was amazing, and most of all, it felt right.

At long last the winding road flattened out as they crested the top of the mountain. The top, however, was not the amazing place that the rest had been. A giant field exploded in front of the car, tall waving grass grew around old junked up tractors and cars, one spot was scorched in a giant pit, and several old stumps were trapped firmly in the ground.

"Roger…"

"I told you it wasn't all that pretty. Father wouldn't do anything with it, and the locals have used it as a dump for quite a while."

"How are we supposed to live up here? This will never work."

"Of course it will. You'll see. We've got more than enough money to live in the city for a few months, and I'll start getting this place cleaned up, then you'll see. It will be amazing."

She glanced around once more, sucking in a breath. Maybe they could pull it off. Roger squeezed her hand encouragingly. She just had to have a little faith.

* * *

**A.N.2 So the fact that I mixed up their mom's names becomes apparent here. Rachel being named after Roger's mother makes so much more sense! Ugh. I am very failtastic.**


	17. Trials and Trickery

**A.N. Happy end of the world! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Trials and Trickery**

Roger went back to Las Vegas to file his case two weeks after they started renting their own place. Anita wanted to go with him, but she stayed because she had another doctor's appointment.

Roger offered to stay, to file with one of the judges in Elko county, but they both agreed that it would be easier on Jack, and look better on them, if they were the ones that traveled.

Anita felt lonely all by herself, but had recently taken to talking to the baby to ease her boredom. She wasn't quite sure if the baby could actually hear her yet or not, but that was hardly the point.

Her new doctor was possibly even nicer than her last one, although he was quite a bit younger. "How you doing, honey? Any discomfort?" he asked, stepping into her room that Wednesday. He smiled, flashing dimples, and took a seat on a tiny salmon colored stool that matched his scrubs.

"I'm okay. Ready to go home already," she sighed. "Do I get to find out what I'm having today?"

He laughed, "Hopefully. Did Dad not want to be here for this? This is the big one."

Anita looked down at her feet sadly. "He's off in Vegas for the week."

"That sucks," he agreed, pulling the ultrasound machine closer to her bed. "Shirt," he ordered, shaking the bottle of jelly. Anita obliged, going ahead and unbuttoning her pants as well.

The ultrasound went as planned, all her measurements were good, and everything was where it was supposed to be.

"Are you ready?" he asked at the end of her exam.

She'd wanted to wait until the end, just so she wasn't distracted. "Yes, please." She was grinning instantly, crossing her fingers. Roger was going to owe her so much when she was right.

"Congratulations, looks likes you're having a girl," he said calmly without looking at the monitor.

"A - What? You didn't even look!"

The doctor spun back around, moving the wand until he found the baby's bottom, and pointed. "It's a girl. Trust me."

Anita laughed. Not a happy laugh, really, since she'd been wrong the entire time. That figured. "Rachel," she sighed.

The doctor chuckled with her. "Not what you were after, huh?" She opened her mouth to explain, but he cut her off again, "No, no need to explain. Here," he added, passing her a towel, "clean up and get out of here. See you next month."

**o.O.o**

Since she didn't have much to do after she was finished with her appointment, Anita decided to go shopping. Against her will she had been saddled with Roger's fancy car _and _his seemingly unending debit card.

Shopping didn't usually fill her with any kind of excitement, just dread and unease, but today she felt a bit different. She went to every big shop she could think of, looking at baby furniture and clothes, accessories and toys, and anything else she could imagine. Anita didn't just stop at baby needs either, while it was true they had almost nothing for Rachel, because they didn't want to shop until they were sure of the gender, they had absolutely nothing for Jack at all. Anita looked through all kinds of things for him, remembering his love for animals. She instantly fell in love with a miniature farm set with chubby little plastic animals.

She really did go a bit crazy, especially after passing a giant Christmas area. Fake trees towered over the people milling about, covered in glittery lights and garland and giant ornaments. Christmas was her absolute favorite holiday, so it felt right to go a little overboard, the things she bought now would be the staples of every Christmas to come for the foreseeable future.

Anita felt bad when she finally loaded the car, the two door, already cramped space was made even worse by the overflowing bags of decorations, presents, baby goods. And it wasn't just the car, the baby furniture was going to be loaded onto a delivery truck and dropped off in the next few hours…

Necessary buys or not, the guilt struck as the high wore off. She hadn't even been paying attention to the prices. Anita laughed nervously. Roger was in for a big surprise once he got back.

**o.O.o**

Roger hated being back in Las Vegas. It felt wrong, too much like the first time, seeing Jack while Anita was so far away. It was tremendously painful.

He had come prepared this time however, ready to make Tiffany see reason. It seemed to all be going to plan, they both knew that she really didn't want Jack around. The very mention of it had her scheming, he could see it in her eyes. The gears turned in her head, probably planning her big return home or an actual trip to New York.

"So I could just, like, go? Really?" she asked, like a child being offered a fantastic trip. "You'll just _take _him?"

Roger nodded, "Yes, Tiffany. You can come visit if you'd like." He'd do almost anything to make her agree.

"I'd be free to do whatever I wanted!" she said, like she didn't already do that. "What do I have to do?"

He hadn't expected it to go _that _quickly. "There's paperwork that needs to be signed, I think. And I'll need his papers. Birth certificate, social security card…"

Roger excused himself quickly after that. He left and headed immediately to Slaughter & Brown, a local law firm he had found a few days before. He was to see a Jay Brown. They had spoken on the phone previously, and Roger was anxious to get things settled within the next few days if possible.

"A judge is still going to approve this, but everything sound like its in order," Mr. Brown said as he put the finishing touches on the rough contract he had written up for him. He called his assistant in over his intercom, a stern looking woman that came in silently and disappeared quickly.

Roger waiting in the office while the paper work was being finalized and copied, discussing trivial things, the weather, sports, the economy. Nothing particularly interesting.

"Ah! There you are, Lisa!" Mr. Brown said joyously when his assistant came back in holding several forms. He took the offered papers, scanning them. "Everything seems to be in order," he asserted. "Sign here, here, here, and fill this part in here," he told him as he flipped through the paperwork showing the blank spots.

Roger did as he was asked, marking up the papers with his neat signature.

"Okay," Mr. Brown finished, re checking everything again. "We'll have these sent to Ms. Hope immediately, and you'll be free to take your son after the judge signs off."

"Is there anyway I could hand deliver these today? I need to get everything settled as quickly as possible."

Mr. Brown shrugged, "I don't see why not. I'll have Lisa get you a copy of the signed forms…" He pressed the bright button on his phone again. "Lisa, can you come back in please?"

Lisa came and went a few more times, and finally he was free to go.

**o.O.o**

He made it back to Tiffany's apartment in record time, whistling a jolly tune and a noticeable spring in his step. He should have known, however, that things couldn't be going nearly as well as they seemed.

Roger rounded the corner from the garage and walked up to the apartment building, only to be surprised by a very young looking cop. The guy frowned, he really couldn't have been much older than Roger himself.

"Are you, uh -" he snapped his fingers as if trying to jog his memory. "Roger. Are you Roger Darling?" he asked sharply.

"Yes…?" Confused, Roger went to ask his own questions, "What's going on? Is something wrong, officer?"

"I've been waiting on you," he said, he sounded very proud of himself. "There's been an order put out on you. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises. As of now, you are no longer allowed within 200 feet of Ms. Tiffany Hope, her son, or the nanny. You are also not allowed to be on this section of Harper Drive."

"What!? When did this happen?"

"About an hour ago, Mr. Darling. You were accused of threatening to kidnap the little boy that lives here."

"Jack," he huffed. "His name is Jack. And I certainly did not try to _kidnap _my own son."

The younger officer didn't seem to believe him, or else just really didn't care. "I'll be escorting you outside of the perimeters of the order, now. If you have any other questions, you can come down to the station. Any violations of the order will result in imprisonment."

"This is insane."

The cop shrugged. "Please go get your car so that we can both move on."

Roger had a growing list of things he would have liked to say then, but bit his tongue. "Can you at least see that Tiffany gets these?" he held out the envelope full of documents. "I need them signed as quickly as possible."

"What's all this?" he asked, taking the envelope and giving it a shake.

"Our custody agreement," he muttered, turning on his heel and marching back to the car garage. He didn't wait for the officer, he just left, going straight to the police station.

No one there offered him anything helpful, and they too sent him off. He decided that he would go back to his hotel and wait until morning, once he had more time to think.

**o.O.o**

He marched right past the front desk to the elevator the moment he walked into his hotel. The people behind the counter, and several people milling about the main room, stared after him, clearly intrigued by his noticeable anger.

The instant he was back in his room Roger stubbed his toe when he kicked one of the innocent chairs. "Dammit," he growled, pulling off his shoe as he sat down on the bed. He sat in silence for a few minutes after that, listening to the sound of his heart racing in his ears. Once he was better and could actually think straight, Roger snatched the phone off of the bedside table and dialed the number to his new house.

Anita didn't pick up for several long rings. "Hello?" she asked. It was nice just hearing her voice. "Who's this?"

"Hey, Nita," he sighed, flopping back, rubbing his forehead with his extra hand. "How was the appointment yesterday?"

"Fine. Are you okay? You don't sound good," genuine concerned leaked over the phone and he felt bad about making her worry.

"Yeah, things just aren't going to go as smoothly as I thought they would. Mayor Hope is coming to town. He had the local police put a temporary restraining order on me for attempted kidnapping or some crap. I want you to come down, I miss you."

Roger could hear the smile in her voice. "I could probably do that. You'll be happy to know you were right, by the way."

He sat up again quickly. "Really? It's a girl?"

"According to my mentally ill doctor," she laughed. "I suppose I'll have to save Billy for the next one…"

"Already thinking about more babies? We'll have two before too long, you know."

She laughed again. "Can't wait. But _yes, _I've been thinking about more babies since before I was even pregnant. We're going to be the crazy people on the hill with a million little ones."

"A million?" He whistled. "I could probably manage that."

They continued to chat for another hour or more before he brought up her leaving again. "Will you be all right on a plane? It shouldn't be a long flight."

"Flight?" she asked, clearly confused. "Why can't I drive? It's not that far."

"Do you want a repeat of the last time we had to drive back that far by ourselves? Fly. Get a first class ticket so you can lean back and sleep. It'll be worth it, trust me." Anita thought about it, making the line go silent for a while. "Is that a yes?" he finally asked.

"I - I suppose so. I've never flown before," she answered, her voice a little shaky.

"That's okay, Jack did fine. If a two-year old can handle it, you surely can."

"True…"

"Don't think about it right now. Keep talking to me. Tell me more about these millions of children I'm supposed to help with."

Anita sighed, but traces of amusement returned to her tone. "Well… Hopefully they'll be half and half. I've always thought about having twins too, you know. My mother has lots of twins on her side of the family."

Two at once. That sounded like a scary situation. "Well if you're planning to have that many, you might want to start picking out names, you know. They can't all be called William." He laughed the thought, a picture of Will, Bill, William, Billy, and Willy dancing in his head.

She made a displeased noise in his ear. "Well let's hear your suggestions then, if you're so clever."

"Anything but Roger," he offered. He hated being his father's shadow growing up, he'd let William slide, it wasn't like many people would pick up on that similarity.

Anita rambled off a few fairly common names, shooting them down almost as quickly as she was getting them out. "I don't know. I'm going back to bed now, okay?"

"Sure, sure. See you tomorrow maybe?"

"I'll call when I get a - a flight. Now go to bed. Night."

"Night, then."

The phone clicked off, and Roger slid his end back in place. He didn't even bother to turn the lights out before drifting off to sleep.


	18. Take Out

**A.N. Well I hope every one had a good holiday. I certainly did. I've been picking at this chapter for several days now, so I'm glad its finally finished up. And I'm excited for the next chapter, my self. **

**Don't know if I can get it done in such short notice, so Happy New Years everyone. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Take Out**

Anita's plane landed just after two, and she came stumbling out looking more than a little frightened. She looked that way until she spotted him, that was, and then she changed her face into a mask of confidence.

"How was your flight?" he asked somehow managing to suppress an amused grin.

"It went well. A little turbulence, nothing out of the ordinary," she explained, but she looked a bit pale.

"You get used to it. Come on, let's go find somewhere to relax." Roger led the way over to the luggage and they stood side by side as they waited on her bags to come around.

"The baby - Rachel," she corrected herself, it was a little odd to use an actual name for her, "has been kicking up a storm. She never sleeps." Roger smiled.

"An active little one," he said proudly. "We're going to go crazy, aren't we?"

"Most likely," she agreed.

Luckily for him, that kind of crazy didn't sound all that bad.

**o.O.o**

The long, painful waits in the hotel room, arguing over the phone, were a lot easier with Anita around. She didn't do much really, she mostly just slept or read, but her very presence made his life a lot easier.

Finally, Roger had found out the reasons behind the retraining order, the mayor himself. Not that being a mayor in California held much sway here in Nevada, but he had pulled whatever strings he had.

While Roger couldn't have the charge revoked, he did manage to secure a court date, some three weeks away. He had no idea how he had been so lucky, he was quite aware of how long it could take to get something like this in front of a judge. Now if only he could be lucky enough to have it only take a few rounds.

During the three-week wait Roger and Anita spent a great deal of time doing almost nothing. Christmas was growing steadily closer, not that they would actually be home for the holiday.

To compensate, they decorated their hotel room. A tiny fake tree sat on one of the tables glittering with fiber optic lights, and a few other 'essentials' were scattered around the rest of the room. Anita warned him, eventually, that she had already done some Christmas shopping of her own, but that didn't stop them from acquiring another small mountain of gifts, all wrapped and labeled, in the far corner.

He once tried to apologize for not being able to have a proper Christmas, but she waved him off.

"We'll have Christmas the moment we get home. I doubt Jack will mind," she said as she packed away the gifts for her family so they could be mailed off.

It warmed him up a little to know that Jack was her main concern at the moment, at least until Rachel came.

**o.O.o**

Christmas came and went with little fanfare, and New Years too, and then it was suddenly most important date yet, their hearing on the eighth.

They sat in one large, mostly empty court room, Roger, Anita, and their lawyer sitting on one side and Tiffany and her crew on the other. The mayor seemed to be taking point on this, and he had brought four of his own lawyers in on the deal.

They all looked stern and angry, except for Tiffany who was looking a little stressed. Roger supposed that her look could work for them, but he knew she wasn't some terrified mother desperate to save her little boy. If anything, she was probably worried about the outcome being in her favor.

Every one stood when the judge strode in, her long robe flowing behind her as she marched in. She too was looking rather angry.

Judge Irons took her seat, folding her hands as she examined them all.

"Custody is not a simple matter, especially with such a young child and the outstanding circumstances being what they are." The judge opened a folder then, scanning the pages inside. "I see that, until very recently, you had no contact with the boy in question, Mr. Darling?"

Roger made to speak, but was interrupted by his attorney. "My client had no prior knowledge of the child, Your Honor. It was kept from him. Mr. Darling only became involved once he had unearthed the secret himself."

"And the reasons behind keeping the child a secret?" she asked, this time turning to Tiffany's party.

"Ms. Hope felt that her son should be kept away from his father, other members of his own family agreed. They kept silent on the matter to spare Mr. Darling from unnecessary trouble."

Judge Irons eyebrow quirked, "Who are these 'other members' that you speak of?"

The older gentleman cleared his throat. "Mr. Darling's own father, Your Honor, Roger Darling Sr. He felt that his son might not yet be ready for such a responsibility, and that the burden might be detrimental to all those involved."

"Hmm," she murmured, clearly thinking. "Your thoughts, Jay?"

"My client believes that the view of his father was driven by other things instead of fatherly love. Neither his mother or younger brother were informed of this situation, and it would seem that the other members of the Hope family were also kept in the dark. A great deal of effort was put into smuggling Ms. Hope out of the state of California."

"Well, have any of the other family come forward to witness? For either of you?" Both teams shook their heads. "Then we will discuss _that _matter at a later date. It says here that this matter was going to be mediated outside of the court? What caused this?"

Jay reiterated the story of the last few weeks, but the moment he wrapped up, another of the Hope's attorneys jumped to their feet. "My client declines this story. Ms. Hope was being pressured to give up her rights to her son, and the moment Mr. Darling left, she called her father to help her."

"And then had a false kidnapping report filed, Your Honor," Jay cut in quickly.

"Yes, yes," she agreed, holding up a sheet of paper, presumably the retraining order. "What was the meaning of that?"

"My client panicked. She didn't feel safe in her own home."

"And yet she never left the comfort of her apartment? Surely Ms. Hope's knowledge of the city and the surrounding area vastly surpasses Mr. Darling's?"

"Traveling with a young child is not easy, Your Honor, especially on such a short notice."

Back and forth they went, picking apart every word in the other's argument.

"All right, _all right," _the judge called, ending the dialogue. "I've heard enough. We shall reconvene on the 22nd. Until then, the restraining order has been severed. Mr. Darling may visit his son no more than three times a week, excluding weekends. No unattended visitations."

After that speech, Judge Irons got to her feet and disappeared through a back room, followed by her rather plump bailiff.

Jay turned around and grinned at them. "We've got them on their toes. That's good. Their story is already starting to crumble."

**o.O.o**

The time between court dates was the hardest, Jack knew a little about what was going on, and he asked lots of questions. Questions that had no answer and only raised more questions still.

The visitations were mostly unchanged, except that they were no longer allowed to leave the apartment with Jack, and Mildred or Tiffany had to be present at all times. At least the mayor had to be at work and couldn't supervise the visits himself.

And for months it stretched on that way, painfully unchanging.

**o.O.o**

Despite Jay's comforting words, they returned to court time and again with almost no progress. Two expert witnesses were called, and they ultimately ended up on opposing sides. Home visits and social workers, they had pretty much extinguished all of their options.

It didn't help matters that time wasn't on their side either. Anita was practically exploding before his eyes, and her due date was crawling ever closer. Jack's birthday, too, was upon them.

And then their saving grace came at last. Roger and Anita walked to their seats, following Jay, disheartened by the struggle. They weren't the only ones, however.

On the other side of the aisle, Mayor Hope and Tiffany were in the middle of a heated argument of their own. They could only catch snatches of the conversation, but from the looks of the lawyers and the mayor's red face, things weren't going his way.

Then Tiffany said loudly, "Daddy, I don't want to fight anymore! What do you even care?"

"Do you know what this will do to us? This will ruin our name. You _are_ going to fight. And you are going to _win," _he growled back.

Tiffany's voice rose. "I don't want to win! I never wanted a baby! I want to come home and get out of this god forsaken desert!"

"Tiffany!" her father shrieked, but it was too late. The judge herself had already walked in.

"I guess that's decided then," she called as she lowered herself into her chair.

"She didn't mean it! She's just nervous!" Mayor Hope tried, but it was a wasted effort.

"Unfortunately for you, Mr. Hope, I believe she meant every word." The woman's dark eyes focused on the man for another long moment, as if she was daring him to argue. "Now then, I hereby grant full custody of the child, Jackson Scott Hope, to Mr. Roger Darling Jr. and his fiancé. Court dismissed." The judge then turned to the bailiff, "Eric, the boy…?"

Eric nodded. He disappeared through the door behind the witness stand, and then returned a moment later, Mildred and Jack in tow.

Jack looked a little frightened, he wasn't used to so many strange people, but the instant he spotted the pair of them, he beamed, dropped Mildred's hand, and ran at them.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, buddy. Did you miss us?"

"Uh-huh."

"We missed you too."

"Lots and lots," Anita added helpfully, making Jack giggle.

"Baby?" Jack asked next, pointing to Anita's rather large stomach.

"She's missed you too."

Jack nodded, contented. "Daddy? You win?"

Roger's smile turned a bit sad. "Yes, Jack. Would you like to come live with us?"

Jack nodded along, not a care in the world. Mildred, on the other hand, looked very upset. Roger hadn't realized before, but she obviously cared very deeply for his little boy.

"Come on, Jack. Why don't you say bye to Nana, okay?"

"Nana come with Jack."

"Jack, sweetie," Anita said, doing her best to get down to his level, "Nana has to stay here, with Mommy, okay?"

"My Nana!" he cried.

Roger was at a loss, and Anita didn't seem to have any more ideas either. From the other side of the room, Tiffany seemed to realize the problem and darted their way.

She made it over to them in a matter of moments. "Jack-Jack," she called, making Jack look up. His nose was dripping snot and his eyes were puffy.

"My Nana," he told her. "My Nana."

"Remember Nana Bella? And Grandma? You'll be just fine without Nana, okay? Be a big boy for Daddy, Jack-Jack. And for your new mommy."

"New mommy," he repeated. "Nina?"

"Yes. Nina is your new mommy. Be good." And with that Tiffany darted off once more. That, sadly, had probably been the longest conversation she had ever had with Jack.

The boy still pouted, but he looked to Mildred then, holding out his little arms. "Bye-bye, Nana."

Mildred scooped him up and held him close. "Bye-bye, Jack. Nana will miss you." She kissed the top of his blond head.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

It was moving, heartbreaking… Anita shuddered and squeezed his hand, tears shining in her eyes.

Mildred passed him off a few minutes later, but Jack was still clutching her shirt. Eventually they managed to pry him off, but he still cried. He cried until he finally fell asleep in the car, clutching onto Puppy, instead.

Roger stared at the road, hoping it would get better, somehow. Beside him, Anita stroked her belly, as if she was trying to comfort the baby. He silently prayed that Rachel wouldn't have such a painful beginning.


	19. The Far and Distant Future

**A.N. I would blame my inability to write on the lack of the internet, but, well if it **_**weren't **_**for that, I probably wouldn't be writing now. Lol. I've been busy watching Batman The Animated Series. I love it. XD**

**Sorry this is so short, and that there is only one chapter and the epilogue left.**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**The Far and Distant Future**

By the time they left Las Vegas three days later, Jack was a little better. He still sometimes called out for Mildred, especially when he got upset, but he slowly losing the habit. Tiffany's last words stuck though, and he had officially decided that Nina was now his mother, and thus she was now Mommy.

It felt strange every time he called her that, although she was now answering it religiously, better to get used to it early on. She hoped that in time she would be so used to it that it wouldn't faze her at all.

Jack didn't enjoy the long drive, although he slept through most of it. They pulled the same trick they had on the way to drop him off after Thanksgiving. The darkness might have helped him, but it left them exhausted when he woke up bright-eyed the moment they pulled into the house.

Anita had at least caught a few moments of slumber, since Roger had refused to let her drive at all, and she quickly volunteered to get Jack settled while Roger showered. He grudgingly agreed, giving them both a quick kiss before disappearing into the master bedroom.

Jack loved the house, it wasn't all that bigger than his apartment, but it had stairs and more rooms to explore. His room was full to bursting, they had yet to sort through the boxes the delivery service had set there, but he was very aware of the few new things that she had set up before she had left.

And then of course there were all the presents that were stacked in the living room. Anita hadn't bothered to re-wrap any of them, but they had two very clear piles, a smaller one from 'Santa' and a larger one for Jack's third birthday, although the two occasions were three months apart and long passed.

Settling in was easy, it turned out. Jack adjusted quickly and with Roger's insight into his typical routines everything went smoothly. He seemed happy, maybe even happier than he had been, although that was harder to tell.

Anita focused much of her energy on Jack during the day while Roger was out. They read books and played all sorts of games. He was a bright boy, and he loved just about anything that pushed his abilities.

He wasn't as needy as some children could be, and he would try something for endless hours rather than asked for help. She had learned quickly that Jack could not be left alone with climbable objects, thank God for built-in shelves.

"Mommy!" he'd squealed in delight, sitting on top of the bookshelf high above her head. She had to go get a chair just to retrieve him.

Every day was much like that, running, lunch, nap, climbing, playing, dinner, bath, bed. By the time Roger drug himself in, muddy and sweating more often than not, she was worn out and achy. The constantly moving baby didn't help matters any either.

When Roger came home that day, he mentioned going up to see the mountain the next day. Anita warily agreed, there were lots of dangers to behold up there, but Jack would love to see the collies and the sheep.

"Come on, Nita. Just for a little while?" he pleaded with her, puppy dog eyes and everything.

"I - I guess," she relented, to Jack's great joy.

"Mountain! Mountain!" he shouted excitedly for the next twenty minutes, unaware of what they were actually doing.

Roger laughed, excited himself.

Anita worried about the excursion up until the moment they arrived. They got stopped halfway up by a long trail of puffy white sheep crossing the road, five mud splattered dogs among them.

"Switch!" Henry called from the back, and they watched as the dog jumped out of line and bunched the sheep back together behind him. After a few minutes, Henry approached the car, looking as rough as he had the first time they'd met. "Brought the whole family today, huh? Well come on then, get on up to the house so I can see that boy of yours."

Jack was staring out the window, entranced. "Puppy! Puppy!" he chanted quietly.

Roger obliged, following the winding trail of sheep up the gravel drive.

He hurried to unhook a very impatient Jack out of his car seat the instant they pulled to a stop, and set him on the ground as quickly as possible. It took Henry a while to get all of the sheep locked up, but once he did the little boy ran up to the each of his dogs in turn, trying to coax some affection out of them.

Fly rubbed herself against him like a cat, Zip rolled onto his back for a belly rub, and Switch attempted to play, bent forward and wagging his tail, but Flash sat unmoving, not hostile but certainly not welcoming. Henry's new dog was very sweet, she came up slowly, ducking her head and wagging her tail while they talked. She even licked Jack's face.

He loved her, giggling and petting her. "I think Jack's in love," Roger agreed, laughing. "Where'd you get this one?"

"Found her," Henry said proudly. "She was herding my chickens a few weeks back. Swift, I call her."

Roger nodded, "Swift, hm. She sure is gorgeous."

"Switch sure thinks so. I think he might have got to her."

"Puppies?"

"With talent," he said, petting Switch's shaggy head. "They should be a good bunch."

They talked a bit more, sitting on the worn folding chairs on Henry's porch, watching Jack's adventuring.

Henry had a far off look to him while he was watching Jack. "I have a grandson, you know, Harry," he said with a small smile. "He's just about Jack's age, too. He turned three in November. I've got pictures, somewhere." He waved vaguely towards the door. "Since David and Missy moved to San Francisco I haven't got to see him."

Everything got really quiet after that, and it seemed like a dark cloud had descended upon them. As it neared lunch time, Anita elbowed Roger in the ribs and they made their exit, much to Jack's disapproval.

The top of the mountain wasn't near as amazing as the dogs, even though Jack got filthy playing in the gravel pile and climbing on the stumps. The team they had up there was working hard, hauling out truckloads of junk, chopped wood. The nasty burning pit was alive with flames twenty feet tall, burning grass clippings and uprooted stumps. Black smoke clogged the air.

"It looks… better," Anita said, taking in the surroundings. "Are they just clearing it out still?"

Roger parked the truck near the base of a small rise. A massive dirt pile sat at the bottom of the rise, dark and fresh. "We started digging the foundation for the garage, see?" He led them around the pile, and pointed to the hole in the ground. Three of the men from the city were busily smoothing out the edges left by the bulldozer. "We have to finish the plans for the house before we dig that one."

"And you have two barns, and the park, and that's not to mention the miles of fences you have to put in… This is such a big project." Anita simply couldn't fathom how he was ever on to achieve everything he wanted to do, no matter how much money he had at his disposal.

Her criticism didn't faze him in the slightest, and Roger continued to grin as he defended his dream. "Have a little imagination, Nita. You'll see. It's all here, waiting for us."

It _was _a beautiful thought, if only they could complete it. "I know it will, if only we can pull it off."

After a tour of the other work that was going on, and being introduced to all of the dozen workers present, they finally settled down for lunch. They'd brought out a cooler full of sandwiches and other lunch friendly foods, spread a blanket out, and sat down to eat in what would eventually become they're living room.

**o.O.o**

It was unusual for Roger to be home so long before dinner, so Anita was determined to make the night perfect. Roger took over for Jack's evening playtime, and she got to use her best cooking skills to master supper.

Occasionally the boys would walk in to ask her questions or show her things they had done, mostly through Roger's prompting, she assumed, as he seemed so keen on watching her cook. Roger didn't have an ounce of training in the kitchen, but he did have an experienced stomach.

"I know you don't see it yet," he whispered to her as Jack stacked his blocks in the floor, the food cooking in the background, "but we make the perfect family. Someday… someday we will have it all, Nita. The farm, the family, everything."

Anita leaned against him, and for just an instant, she could see the picture he had tried so hard to make her see. Not Jack, or even Rachel, but some other small child, soft brown hair and startlingly cerulean eyes, marching his toys through several pairs of feet, both human and not. The big white house that served as home for them all, looking protectively from its hill to the farm below. It was beautiful, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, only to disappear the moment she blinked.

She smiled, the warm scent of freshly baked cookies still lingered. "I can see it, sometimes. I believe you, Roger. I do."

And so life continued, one day at a time, stressful, happy, and expectant.


	20. Born Again

**A.N. So the long-awaited moment, at least for me. Everything is wrapping up nicely, I think. Any questions left behind should be brought out in the open. I'd like to fix as much as I can.**

**Golden Roads II: Money Matters (as the sequel is called) Will start posting with the epilogue. So make sure to check out my profile to see it.**

**As always, much of my writing is based on detailed internet studies and very little personal experience. If anything is glaringly wrong it is because I've never had a baby myself. Lol.**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Born Again**

They weren't allowed to paint, so Anita had opted to decorate the nursery with reusable wall stickers. They came in all shapes and sizes, the little tiger cub was by far her favorite of the animals. She was almost done, everything was almost perfect, done in yellow and ice blue and baby pink. The furniture was all a standard white, and sturdy enough to hold a few more babies in the years to come. Except, perhaps, for the plush rocking chair that Roger had surprised her with a few days before. _It _sat in the corner covered in a pink fluffy material.

Anita was setting the last things in place, folding onesies and stacking diapers, when the first pain started. It wasn't a bothersome feeling, really, just a short jab that went away so quickly, she thought she might have imagined it.

The second jolt wasn't quite so pleasant. She groaned, rubbing the spot where it hurt the worst, hunched over. It, too, passed quickly, but she still felt a little sore. Anita watched the clock after that, counting the time that had passed between each blast.

By the fifth round she was sure. "Oh," she moaned, still rubbing her stomach. "Roger! Roger!" she called, wandering about the house the moment it stopped.

She finally found him sprawled across the bed, snoring. Anita hated to wake him, he was working late into the night to help clear out the land on the mountain, despite the crew he had hired to do the work.

Anita shook him lightly, "Roger? Roger its time to wake up."

"W-what?" he groaned, turning his head in her direction. "What's wrong?"

"The - oh dear. I think my water just broke all over the carpet."

He blinked several times while that sunk in. "Baby," he said sharply as he sat up.

She nodded helplessly. Roger jumped into action with a crazed kind of gusto. He shoved his feet into the first pair of shoes he came across, sans socks, and rushed out of the house to start the car. She was holding the keys when he rushed back in a few seconds later.

He calmed down a bit after that, but he was still flustered and jumpy. "Jack!" he squawked a few moments later, rushing up the stairs to wake him up.

Anita changed clothes and rechecked her bag while he ran about. She knew she had everything, but there was still a nagging feeling that she was leaving something important behind.

Jack scrubbed his eyes when Roger brought him down, clutching Puppy and wearing his untied shoes on the wrong feet. She meant to say something, but another sharp pain shot through her, robbing her of the ability to speak.

"What's wrong with Mommy?" Jack asked, clearly concerned.

Roger jumped a bit at his voice, "Mommy's having the baby!" His voice had a false kind of excitement to it, the kind of voice you use to tell little kids that Brussel sprouts taste amazing. "We have to go to the hospital, now, and it might be a long time before we can come home."

Anita felt for Jack, she did, he would be forced to stay at the hospital for the twenty or so hours it would take to have the baby, just because they were new here and had no kind of support system.

"Come on, Roger. Let's hurry, okay?" she said as softly as she could. She really didn't want to frighten the little boy more than she had too.

"Oh. Oh yes," he agreed. Roger really was off his game today.

The ride to the hospital was thankfully short, more of a skip than any kind of journey. Traffic slowed them, but even then within fifteen minutes they were sitting in the parking lot, a half a dozen other cars lingering around them, and an ambulance pulled in at the emergency room.

As it was only a little before two, they got to bypass that entrance and take the main door. Jack happily pressed the button on the elevator, and they shot up three floors to the maternity wing.

The sound of crying babies and beeping machines was everywhere as they moved to the front desk to get they're room.

The kind faced girl behind the counter, gave them a world-winning smile. "Hi! I'm Denise, how may I help you?"

Roger didn't seem fazed by her questioning, but Anita wonder what other kind of assistance a full to bursting pregnant woman could get in the maternity ward. "We need a room, quickly. She's having the baby," he answered gesturing to her.

"Ooh! There's a free room right there," she said happily, pointing to the door right to the left of the desk. "What's your names? Do you have a booking?"

Anita held back a painful groan, breathing through her nose and causing Roger to give her another frightened look. "Darling, it should be under Darling."

"Of course! Go ahead and get settled then. I'll send someone in. Oh," she added, finally noticing Jack when Roger hoisted him back off the floor. "Is this your little one? He's adorable."

"Er, yes. Is it all right if he stays in the room with us? We don't have anyone to take him," Roger asked. They had been worried that Jack might have to stay outside.

Denise just grinned. "Take him in. You might want to call someone though. Birth is a little scary, you know. But here," she pulled a giant lollipop wrapped in blue paper. "A gift for the new big brother."

Jack tucked his head into Roger's shoulder. "Thanks," he said, taking the candy and putting it in his pocket. "Come on, Nita."

Anita held up a finger, signaling him to wait until her current contraction passed. "Okay…" she groaned, straightening up.

They're room was very standard, an exam style bed in the center, a hospital recliner and sparse furniture scattered around the two sets of monitors. One corner of the wall was devoted to an incubator and baby equipment.

Roger set Jack down on the hard chair, and lent a hand to get Anita changed and into bed.

"Roger, you need to go call our mothers," she reminded him once she was leaning against the pillows. "I've got Jack, if you can get me my bag," she pointed to the diaper bag on the floor. "I brought his books."

He was reluctant to leave her, but Roger did as he was asked, placing Jack on the bed with her and finding the books she wanted. He smiled at the ones she'd chosen to bring, some of Jack's favorites, but hers too.

"Which one are we going to read first?" she asked, smiling despite the torture her body was already putting her through.

"Dip!" he said excitedly, pulling out the one he was talking about. The little Dalmatian on the front had its butt stuck up in the air, wagging its black tipped tail.

"Okay, then," she said, as if she hadn't expected it.

**o.O.o**

Roger drug his feet on the way out of the room, and asked Denise where he could find a phone. She pointed him in the correct direction, still all smiles.

To get to the phone on the floor, he had to pass the nursery, a long glass wall showing off nearly a dozen sleeping babies. As he watched, captivated by the tiny beings, a nurse removed two of them, a boy and a girl, and stepped out of the room.

She walked up to him. "Do you need something?" she asked, not nearly as friendly as Denise.

"No, mine's not here yet. Are those twins?"

The girl glanced back at the babies, "Yes. We get a lot of them around here. Must be something in the water." She said it almost like a warning, and then she was gone.

Roger watched her disappear into another doorway before he remembered he was on a mission and couldn't stand around all day.

He dialed his mother's number, worried how she might react. He certainly hadn't expected her to sound so excited.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

"Roger? Oh, goodness. Is it the baby? Is everything okay? What about Jack?" she fired off questions so rapidly he didn't have a chance to respond.

"Yes, yes," he cut her off. "Everything's okay, but Anita just went into labor."

Bella made an excited little squeal, and said something to someone else, her voice muffled from the distance. He assumed it was Gretchen listening in. "Finally, I was getting worried. She's a week late… Have you called May, yet? I need to get Philip…"

"No, not yet. Why do you need the pilot?" he asked warily, but he already knew. The whole lot of them would be crowding the waiting room when by the end of the evening.

"We're coming, of course. Your father said that he'd have James fired if he took off on such short notice, but I've got that all worked out. Gerald won't be firing anyone unless he wants his wife to be jobless." He couldn't see it, but Roger could imagine the victory smirk on his mother's face. "Don't worry about housing us though, dear. Joseph booked rooms a week ago. He's coming too, something about saying 'I told you so.'"

Roger groaned, "That's great. We'll see you in a bit then, can I leave calling May up to you then? So you can give her all of the details?"

"Yes, yes. Do get back there, Anita's going to need a hand. I do hope your paying the babysitter well for the next few days."

Roger took a breath, letting the pause answer for him.

"Roger! Tell me you didn't leave Anita by herself to have the baby and watch Jack!" Bella huffed at him. "Go! Get off the phone. We'll be there soon."

Roger did as he was told, hanging the phone back up and scurrying back to Anita's room. She seemed to have finished all of the books she had brought, or else Jack had gotten bored, as he was busily playing on the floor.

"Sorry that took so long, I'm afraid just about everyone's coming," he said when Anita noticed his presence.

Anita didn't look surprised. "Bella said as much the last time I talked to her. Surely your father didn't change his mind?"

"About the job?" he asked, confused. "How often to you call my mother?"

She shrugged. "Weekly? Sometimes more. Oh! The doctor came, finally. He says I'm only four centimeters dilated though. We've still got a while."

Roger nodded, taking the seat beside her, as they waited, and waited, and waited some more.

**o.O.o**

"Uh, Mr. Darling," Denise called, poking her head in the door. "I think your family has arrived."

Roger breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god." He got to his feet quickly, taking Jack with him, and stoked Anita's hair with his extra hand. "Let me take him out, I'll be right back. You don't want anyone do you?"

Anita shook her head. "No, just, just hurry." She gritted her teeth as another contraction ripped through her, they were growing so close together, it was almost time for the real business they were here for.

Jack was more than happy to get out of the room, although he was clearly frightened for Anita too. "Is Mommy okay?" he would ask every time she curled up and moaned. How she had been able to bite back actual screams for so long, without any kind of pain relief he wasn't sure.

"Come on, Jack. Grandma's here to see you. Mommy's got to push the baby out now," Roger told him as the made their way to the waiting room where everyone was standing around.

May was the only one that didn't come running up to him once he had rounded the corner. Bella took Jack swiftly out of his arms, snuggling him close while the boy whispered about all the pain the baby was causing his mommy. Joseph slapped him on the back, laughing, and Jimmy and Stephanie bounced around excitedly.

James, who was truly the last person he wanted to make eye contact with, parted the crowd easily. "Roger," he said gruffly.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, fighting the urge to shiver under the big man's intense gaze.

"How's my little girl doin', Roger? She's a tiny thing, and making babies is a big ordeal."

"Uh," he tried, but no words came to him. "She's - She's okay. I've got to get back to her, it's almost time to push."

"Then get going!" his mother added helpfully, nudging him away. "I swear he's petrified," she laughed.

James nodded at him. "Good," he muttered watching Roger bolt around the corner and disappear once more.

**o.O.o**

The doctor came back in just a moment after Roger returned, sliding his wheeled stool into place. He wolf whistled, which made Roger decidedly uncomfortable. "Yep, time to get going. Next good one, I need you to give it a good push, okay?"

While he waited for something more important to do, the doctor shifted her blanket in a better position for him to see, and dragged a tray full of scary instruments to his side.

The break last only just enough time for him to get settled when the furthest monitor spiked and a new contraction started.

Roger had already taken his place at her side, Anita's hand wedged firmly into his and her nails biting furiously into the back of his hand.

"Okay, go," the doctor instructed, staring at her nether regions.

Anita put all her effort into that first push, Roger wanted to focus on the actual act, you only got to witness your first birth once, but that was very hard when the black spots started flashing in his eyes and his hand suddenly felt like it was going to fall off. Certainly tiny little Anita didn't have enough strengthen to cause that much damage though.

"Come on, push this little bugger out, now," Anita's cheery young doctor encouraged. "There you go, come on."

Over and over again they had to listen to the same nonsense while Anita struggled, growing more and more tired. And at long last, he announced good news. "One one ought to do it. Just got to free her other shoulder and she's all yours."

That information seemed to spurn her on. Anita gave it one more shove, and suddenly there she was, they're little girl. She was big and bluish gray in color, but her screaming filled the whole room.

"Rachel," Anita sighed, and then she slumped backwards.

"What happened?" Roger shouted, shifting out from under her dead weight. "Is she okay?" The doctor looked perplexed too, checking all of her monitors. There wasn't any excess blood, and her heart beat was steadily racing on, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

After a minute, she groaned, blinking up at him. "Why - Why am I laying down?" she asked in a tired voice, referring to her bed being straitened out. "Did I faint?"

The doctor looked relieved. "It looks like it. Just exhaustion then, you should be fine," he assured them, muttering something to one of the nurses about running tests. "Your baby seems just fine too," he added before they could ask. "She's got good lungs."

Anita just smiled, unconcerned about her own issues. "Can I see her?"

"Just a second," he said with another one of his winning smiles, jumping back to his feet and hurrying over the bed where they had the baby stretched out under the heat lamp.

She continued to scream herself hoarse. Obviously Rachel didn't care much for her new bright, loud world.

When she was mostly clean and warmed up, one of the nurses handed her over, nestling her carefully in Anita's arms.

"She's very pretty," Anita acknowledged. "She has your nose, I think." Rachel blinked up at them, still whimpering pitifully. She had lots of dark hair sticking up every which way that seemed to have a strange reddish tint.

Roger stroked her cheek so softly he wasn't sure he had brushed her at all. "She's perfect, of course," he said quietly before he kissed Anita's sweaty forehead. Glad that it was finally over for the moment.

Now he had to look forward to the next, a few years in the future.

* * *

**A.N. **_**Dip's Grand Adventure **_**is a short story I wrote for my cousin. :D**


	21. The Ties That Bind

**Epilogue**

**The Ties that Bind**

* * *

Everyone wants to live a fairy tale, fluffy romances and happy endings, but fairy tales always seem to leave out the hard stuff. Not just the evil villain, but the other stuff. The fights, the mistakes. Sometimes the hardships are too much, they break and destroy, but sometimes, when its real and true, they build and strengthen.

Anita slid onto her new couch. Everything was so new and wonderful. Rachel made a quiet little noise in her swing, rocking slowly back and forth as she slept. She was a good baby, wonderful really, hardly what she had expected at all.

She was relieved that their extra house guests were finally gone. They had been both a help and a bother. All she had really wanted to do was sleep, and instead she had to entertain as well. However today, the first day that was just her and the baby, she was excessively bored. She didn't even have Jack to entertain her.

As soon as that thought coursed through her, the door popped open in the hall, letting in the chill of the night. Jack bounced into the room, grinning brightly.

"Mommy!" It was still a little weird, especially since she was suddenly the mother of two, but Anita answered him with a smile.

"Jack! Did you boys have fun on the mountain?"

"Uh-huh," he answered quickly, swinging around to look for his father. "Daddy?"

"Coming buddy." Roger stepped in then, holding tightly to two large, squirming creatures.

"Puppies?" Anita asked, a little concerned, but also excited.

"Yeah, puppies," he grinned back.

Everything seemed so perfect. Maybe this really was their happy ending.

_**Fin**_

* * *

**A.N. Its been a long, long road, but here it is, the end. As I said before, **_**Money Matters **_**is up too, but no promises on how much effort I'll put into that one. In that case take this end however you want. You can pretend that the puppies are Pongo and Perdita and go about your business, or you can take on the next segment with me.**

**Either way, its been fun. :D**


End file.
